One more time: human brain has evolved to answer the [very practical] question "How to?" (Hence - science). Its ability to pose the [quite unnatural] question "Why?" is merely a byproduct, side effect, or even a design flaw (for those alternatively designed). Hence - religion.

This is just a joke, but in the absense of an immediate answer to "Why?" the brain looks for any substitute, however unlikely. Or even conjures one up. Or many.

One possibility — a biological "null hypothesis" — is that maybe consciousness hasn't been an evolutionary development at all; maybe it is a non-adaptive byproduct of having large brains.

- The consciousness puzzle

Still i think it was adaptive in the beginning. May be it's an overgrowth of some basic self-monitoring facility.  ¶ 6:13 PM