Sorry, didn't think of that. Good point. reminds me of an adage, "The best activities in life are the ones that increase our awareness that we are alive."

Which horse told you that?

@LenHazell53 Governing our brain is like a rider on an elephant. As long as we can guide it we're OK, but if that elephant wants to go somewhere else then we are powerless to stop it. Maybe criminals are just poor at controlling their brains. I dunno. Try closing your eyes and not thinking of anything for one minute. I can't do it.

@Grecio Having studied and practiced meditation since the age of 13 I can do that and for far longer than a minute.

Personally having read a number of his books I find Sam Harris to be a sensationalist and very derivative, the so called "Mirror Gene" you speak of is only an expansion on Lacan's Mirror stage theory, without the part where it can be applied to animals too, since both they and children can become self aware when a familiar figure appears in the mirror too, allowing them to deduce what a reflection is.
It has been proven many times that many species other than man are aware of their own existence and of mortality, orca's, dolphins, Bonobo chimps, elephants, dogs and cats for example, most prominently however in rats who have been proven not only to be sentient, but to have a sense of humour and be one of the few other species apart from ourselves who laugh.

@LenHazell53 Len, that is very enlightening. Thanks..Bye the way, how did they prove that the animals are aware that they will die at some point? Interesting.