When does sentience begin and where does it come from?

Question

we are all born dumb animals.Face it we are not born self aware at birth, everything we do as infants is automatic, we are not unlike people in a coma the body functions but the mind is not there, so at what age do we become sentient and where does it come from. Seriously think about it for a minute, we seem to become self aware overnight,any one who's raised children should be able to recognize the signs, just because that little face is smiling at you doesn't mean he/she is self aware their just a baby doing what babies do. Then one day you look into that childs eyes and you realize that they are self aware because suddenly that child is aware of you and its surroundings this can verified by the fact that the child is now watching you and not just looking at you. Human developement happens gradually and over periods of time. sentience is the only thing that happens over a short span of time therefore we are not born with it so I ask when do become we sentient and where does come from

Answer 1

I think that we are born with some awareness of ourselves and surroundings. If you give a day old baby your finger, it will grab it. I've seen some babies, less then a month old, try to suckle when they are close to a woman's breast, even if it is clothed. They are aware that boobies= food. I think that there is a point in which our awareness heightens, but that comes as we learn, as do all things in human life.

Answer 2

We become sentient when we have grown sufficiently to have our own consciousness. The Chinese have an interesting theory about when a child's destiny becomes his own.
A child is considered to be under his parents sphere of influence until he reaches a certain age. This age can be calculated and of course it is different for each child. I myself can remember the first thought I ever had. I remember the circumstances well and according to my parents I was 9 months old at the time.

Answer 3

It's a gradual thing, it comes from the brain.