Evolution

[Little Rik]

Here ya go, Rik:

An individual, human or animal, is defined to be in a conscious state empirically by the behavioral ability to respond meaningfully to stimuli, whereas the loss of consciousness is defined by unresponsiveness... Because baseline brain energy consumption has been shown by 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy to be almost exclusively dedicated to neuronal signaling, we propose that the high level of brain energy is a necessary property of the conscious state.
...
[This study] has identified brain properties for the human in a conscious state that change with loss of consciousness; properties, at the neuronal level which in their interconnections display the characteristics of consciousness.

http://www.pnas.org/content/106/27/11096

I just read the abstract and the conclusion, but this study shows a direct correlation between consciousness and brain states. I had a bit of trouble following all the details, but I'm pretty sure this experiment links conscious states with high level brain energy.

This study does not contradict anything that I have said.

Obviously a brain is needed to allow the consciousness to function in any animal or human life form and the more the brain function well the more the consciousness function well.
The two are very very much connected.
However this connection does not means that the brain can give birth to the consciousness.  
Plants do not have a brain but they still have consciousness so consciousness doesn't necessary need a brain to function.  
As soon as the consciousness increase in lower form of life such as plants then a brain is needed to allow this low form of consciousness in plants to move on to new goals that is why a brain is needed as plants turn into animals.

Don't you worry too much VL.
Sooner or later you too will understand how the whole system works.
That desirable day you too like everybody else in the past will dump all atheistic dogmas    in the rubbish bin of history and real progress will be a reality.