Play SimCity or Civilization and contemplate what your relationship is to each of the sims or population units digitally represented in the game is. That would

Play SimCity or Civilization and contemplate what your relationship is to each of the sims or population units digitally represented in the game is. That would be the difference in level of consciousness between the Minds and ordinary humans like you and I. You are making those crude representations of beings in game happy, protecting them from outside threats, and generally looking out for their well being but your ability to relate to them or converse with them as equals with them will never be any different.