Consciousness without the concept of self is general consciousness. Like animals or infants. A consciousness that can experience and react to the environment, b

Consciousness without the concept of self is general consciousness. Like animals or infants. A consciousness that can experience and react to the environment, but has no idea of itself. Consciousness with the concept of self is self-awareness. It's a more "advanced" form of consciousness. Where the consciousness is aware that it is conscious. I might be wrong, but that's how I understand it. As for the self being an illusion, we don't know for sure, but I think that's the most likely case.