Here very briefly stated and over-simplified is my take on consciousness:

What is "conscious" or "aware" is not a thing but a process -- more akin to a flame or a wave than to a gland or bit of brain tissue.  We realize this by sitting quietly and mindfully "watching" our mind do its thing.  What we "see" are short-term memories of where the mind was a moment ago, so don't let the ability to "watch" fool you -- it is all part of the process, not something separate.

What we see is a loosely connected chain of thoughts, sensations, memories, external distractions, what have you.  Sometimes a sort-of link or causal connection can be discerned, sometimes it seems random.  Of course we see only the surface and there is a lot going on unseen (below in the depths) that we don't see so the seeming randomness may or may not be real.

There is a lot of well established scientific evidence that this arises somehow from neuronal activity and the exchanges of chemicals and so on between neurons, plus other things.  This tells us little about how this electrical and chemical activity turns into mind and awareness and so on -- quite a little mystery there.