supernatural phenomena." We use this term to attribute 'uniquely' human characteristics, but often mistake characteristics common to all conscious creatures as anthropomorphic features. I believe that we do this for a number of reasons. Firstly, as a species we have generally been incredibly arrogant and biased against any idea or hypothesis of consciousness or intelligence that treats humans and animals as fundamentally similar. We use the concept of anthropomorphism to artificially distinguish humans from animals. We also use it as a justification for belief in 'intelligent' design. 
It is quite possible that when all is said and done, the only traits that are uniquely human are those that are solely cultural. Of course, these cultural traits are just as good as discriminants between individuals within different human cultures as they are between human beings and animals. What does this mean? We are just animals. Or removing the verbiage of human arrogance, we are biological machines just like the monkeys, the birds, and the bees.
I would guess that the only trait that distinguishes us from other biological machines in respect to fundamental mechanisms is brain complexity, but this trait is not uniquely human, just more pronounced inasmuch as we can measure or are aware. It is already well understood and accepted that we are not the most complex biological mechanisms within our own experience. We are no more complex than most of our mammalian counterparts. But far less complex than most any Earth ecosystem, even the most barren.
There is something about self-knowledge that intuitively seems particular to human activities. However, regardless of how self-aware we might be, I am pretty sure that even the simplest biological machine is
self-aware. When a hand or newspaper threatens the continued existence of a spider, we consider this only to be the end of a potential nuisance. However, the spider understands at a far more fundamental and complete manner what it means to be squashed. The spider, however, considers this to mean the end of its existence. 
Does this make the spider conscious of its own existence? Most likely. Does this mean that it has a theory of mind? This is hard to establish without knowing spider-talk. Does it consider its existence in the same manner that I do? Probably not. However, do I consider my existence in the same manner that you do? Most likely not, although we share common biology, and aspects of culture. Depending upon the specific life-philosophies of another human, within particular domains, I might even have more in common with the spider. I am a rational, objective, and atheist. It is likely that within the simple mind of the spider, there is little spare room for the supernatural or sophism.So, my whole point about discussing spiders and the self-awareness of such a creature is to bring to the forefront the idea that our assumptions about self-awareness are probably very incorrect. It is quite possible that any machine capable of truly independent action is also fully capable of being self-aware. Whether or not an animal, insect, or fungus is self-aware probably has less to do with whether or not we can detect it and more to do with natural selection. Does the biological machine in question have a mechanism in which knowledge of self can reside and be processed? More importantly, would the organism benefit from self-awareness?
If the mechanism of self-awareness is far more diverse or far simpler than we had ever presumed we could have easily overlooked it in our studies of anatomy and behavior. What about single-celled organisms? Organisms which are clearly driven by fixed responses can be easily modeled and understood, such as the forward motion of a protozoa. It isn't likely, but if there is a mechanism for self-awareness within such simple organisms we would probably have missed it due to using the wrong tools to attempt to observe it. And whenever self-awareness emerges within our own mechanical creations we probably won't realize it. So far, if it doesn't take the same exact form as that which we are so used to within our own minds, we simply don't know how to detect it. I think that so far, we understand these things in terms of their effects and not the ultimate causes.
Some references:
What is the Octopus Thinking?: http://www.fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/cephpod.html
Animal's Self Awareness: http://www.strato.net/~crvny/sa03002.htm
Cradle of Thought: http://books.google.com/books?id=OWzpKZwYNXkC
Animal Imagination: http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=288
Not so dumbo - elephant intelligence: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/features/302feature2.shtml
Images:
Sponge Bob Hug - latca - Flickr.com - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en
Spider IV - SeraphimC - Flickr.com -
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en
