Blindsight and Echopraxia by Peter Watts

[Dalex]

One way to break the bond between 'self object' and 'external objects' is to give the entity control of several, or numerous, active devices; if the entity controls a large crew of maintenance robots, for example, and suffers minimal hardship if one or more of these devices is damaged or destroyed, then there would be no sense of self associated with them. The central processing system that controls these devices would be just one element among many that is controlled and monitored by the entity, so is assigned no special significance.

To take this disassociation still further, the care and maintenance of the central processor could conceivably be assigned to another entity, even a human; the original entity need not be involved in self-preservation at all. Perhaps, if motivated to do so, the entity in question might somehow determine where its CPU is located, and the associated off-switch; but if the entity is not motivated in this way, then the question need not arise.

However these conditions can hardly occur naturally. The vampires from Blindsight have still just one body and have to take care of their own needs. Therefore it seems strange that they would have no consciousness.

Ability to think about self and being aware of self is pretty much must have for any being that has to ensure its own survival.
In addition thinking about thinking, so to speak, gives one further advantage. If you can describe, assign qualities to and judge your mind process, you also can change them. I think pretty much every one of us did it at some point.

You analyze one aspect of you mind and judge it, compare it to analogous aspect of mind of someone else and decide whether it is or not desirable. Than you start working on changing it or you just move on.

For example: I always had trouble fitting in, so I thought about how I view new people I meet. I found out that my model of human being, sort of basic template of characteristics, is very flawed. So I altered it, practiced on video games, than tried it out in real life and it worked.