I have no qualifications to speak on consciousness. This is all headcanon.
A friend (Elijah) recently gave me a great way of thinking about whether there’s anything “special” about consciousness. Envision a kernel with all sorts of peripheral inputs (emotions, memories, etc). Consciousness is the kernel when you strip all of those inputs away. This makes thinking about consciousness a lot easier. Now, the big question becomes, is anything left after the inputs are stripped away? Another way to think about it: is this mental model even accurate (the mental model only works if there is something “special” happening)?
As of right now, my answer is no. I don’t think there’s anything left without the peripherals.
Sidenote: These inputs are what most people think about when talking about consciousness. Something feels special and exceptional about emotions and the memories that make you unique. After all these are, (I argue) what make up your “experience”. But they’re also just products of evolution.