This is something I’ll be delving into. And if I know myself very well, it will be something I’ll be visiting again often, so be prepared for many edits/updates.

I often term it as pondering. Without further research I think it’s very similar if not the same. It’s something I do often but never enough. Call it conscious daydreaming with a purpose.

To study later: If awareness of the environment . . . is the criterion of consciousness, then even the protozoans are conscious. If awareness of awareness is required, then it is doubtful whether the great apes and human infants are conscious.

To study later: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_event