Yes, exactly: consciousness as we know it in daily life really is nothing more than the brain's deeply interconnected processing centers working in tandem. The sense-of-self is actually generated: it is a phantom that has come in very handy for keeping us alive over the eons.

A proper psychedelic breakthrough experience or even mindfulness done right and for long enough is capable of demonstrating this in clear, unambiguous, front-&-center terms. That is what is really going on: there is nothing particularly special about your brain or anyone else's when it comes to composition. They are deeply interconnected, specialized neural networks.

Tough pill to swallow, I know, but it has the advantage of being the truth. You're right: what use is there for us? We are about to get the most humbling wake up call in our entire history as a species, and it's coming faster than most realize.

We can be replaced.