Imagine a proto-organism, maybe a protein (with no senses). A nearby chemical begins to react and causes it to move or change, maybe like a detergent breaks down surface tension, or maybe by ion exchange. It happens whenever the 2 are in proximity and it turns out to be beneficial to the piece of protein because it prevents it from dissolving or something. After awhile the surviving proteins all contain the proper structure to react that way. Fast forward a few million years; the protein picks up a few more survival traits the same way.
One of the traits is a boolean modifier that optimizes the reaction so that the random chemicals in the environment trigger sensor feedbacks that are "identified" as beneficial (for continued existence) or are bad (dissolution). That identifier boolean is the basis for consciousness but probably not actual consciousness. It compares a number of inputs to define the nature of the external influence. The boolean (if x then z) becomes (if x and y then z) where y is the effect of it's own response. Accumulated booleans develop into a model of the world that includes the proto-organisms own influence. That's consciousness. The boolean modifier is a trait selected by survival of the organism. Mass consciousness is when one group(country/race) modifies it's behavior based on it's relationship to other groups. It is recognition of itself as being part of a broader community/organism.
update 25 April 2021:
A problem with this above definition is that it only applies retroactively. That is, it describes how consciousness evolved as a result of mechanical-chemical processes. I don't really ascribe to the mystery school but it's only fair to give it coverage. IMHO it's the deification of ignorance because obviously nobody knows how things work because if they did it wouldn't be a mystery. OK not digressing here ... The point is that there's no way to prove that consciousness exists without a physical vessel such as yourself (except for glimmers of information transferred outside the limits of an individual). HAH! So lets just assume it does and is universal. What would that look like?
Awareness existing in Rocks-trees-air & cosmic consciousness would explain the total lack of involvement/interest by any god because the loss of any individual is no big deal (except to the individual). Animals associate death with non existence and think (rationally) that self propagation defeats death. But puts them in competition with other organisms for the same space and resources, which changes the name of the game from "sex is fun" (so we don't die) to "global domination" (so we don't die).
I believe any god would have to be oblivious and indifferent to any animals evolutionary trends (people aren't the chosen species) because Humanity is well on the way to it's own destruction and we'll be taking a lot of other species with us. Hmm.. unless Cosmic consciousness is real, then we just change shape and loose individual memory. That still implies an ongoing process though, & one has to wonder what for?
That some kind of universal awareness would have a goal sort of sounds anthropomorphic, but since living things are part of the cosmic consciousness too, they would also have that tendency. um maybe, maybe not.
So what do animals have that rocks and trees don't? Mobility comes to mind, also intentional reprocessing of materials into forms that benefit other organisms (in the form of poop, burrowing, (making computers?), altering the environment to open new niches. Have to say it really seems like the existing ecosystems are pretty useful though.
It seems that people in particular have a quality that intellectualizes perceptions to create new possibilities from them. Things like number theory & Physics, and the same question of "what for". What I'm doing here is guessing the mind of god which is traditionally said to be a no-no as well as futile, but that's the mystery school for you, and once you DO know, it no longer applies. Until another one comes along, maybe this hypothesis is the purpose, they probably happen a lot.
