@Tyler Also, the Mirror test is an ideal mechanism to explain self-awareness; as is the ability to switch off self-awareness in the superfrontal gyrus - not an "unwarranted act of faith" - no need for new physics.

Dolphin love mirrors ,My dogs barked at the mirror until they figure out it was them . One other dog never did. It was funny.

I have tried this test with Gloria's baby, by marking his forehead with lipstick. To see exactly when he becomes aware it is his image.

Very interesting that we are not aware of our selves even with a mirror until much later. The baby seemed to look at me more than himself he did not recognize himself at all.

He started to know it was him about two years old. But I think he thought it was another boy. Every time he cried in tantrum we would put him in front of the mirror and say " look at that boy crying who is he? "

He would stop and look at himself then cry again, then stop and look then cry until he would lose patience and want to hit the boy in the mirror. He did not like the competition even if it was him lol. Then one day he used the mirror to look at himself. It is possible we learn to look at ourselves by copying our parents. Having mirrors at an early age accelerates this process I believe.

What if we are never exposed to mirrors? I suppose water can be a mirror. Self-awareness does not depend on looking at a mirror no?