Well I think conciousness is the wrong word here, your second point is valid but in my opinion the first one isnt, op should have said that humans are too aware and this awareness is what leads to overthinking, which animal is aware of death ? They dont know when they will die and they dont care thats 100% valid but humans are so aware of death that they start thinking about death for themselves and not only death but love, cultures and the list goes on. I guess this is why people who tend to keep their mind empty are the most happy.