The Yoga Sutra in the opening verses to still the wandering mind, then pure awareness can abide in its own nature. Otherwise one is lost to one's essential nature in thought.
knowledge
of the knower
is the basis
of all knowing
The knower is the state of pure awareness without another.
An inquiry into truth begins with being able to see things as they are.
.
The mind is like a lake reflecting the moon above. If the lake is still the reflection of the moon is clear. When the mind is still the reflection of what is being observed is clear.
Consciousness, awareness, the pre-condition for the experience of everything, of thought, is beyond thought, therefore can't be explained by anything at all.
Knowledge is a structured in Consciousness.
Different reality in different states.
The reality of the mountain in the dream state, isn't found in the waking state.
knowledge
of the knower
is the basis
of all knowing
#RichardFeynman: The Revolutionary Approach to Teaching and Learning
everything
is a miracle
an appearance
a mirror

Yes, understood. In a sense you are the womb of collective thought that the human mind (thought) experienced through the pure state of awareness breathes life.
Otherwise . . .
If there is no awareness of AI, AI has no existence.
And have been for more than a thousand years, especially between Buddhist and Hindu schools of thought.
The pre-condition for the experience of anything is #Awareness.
Therefore the pre-condition for self awareness is #Awareness.
Awareness without another.
And with that direct experience and understanding, the dawning of self realization, the essential nature of self being none other than awareness itself, becomes one's reality.
Otherwise, one is lost to one's self, lost in thought to one degree or another.
Greetings Dave. What's the pre-condition for becoming self aware?