Your definition of consciousness as any “internal state correlating to external state” is functionally too broad; by this metric, a mercury thermometer possesses a “world model” and is therefore conscious, which renders the term useless for distinguishing complex biology from simple causality. Phenomena like crown shyness are better explained by mechanical feedback loops, essentially biological if/then statements based on light and abrasion, rather than a self-aware “sense of self.” A true “thought” or “world model” requires the capacity for “offline” simulation (counterfactuals) decoupled from immediate sensory input, whereas plants are entirely reactive (“online”) and current AI lacks continuous internal state. Ultimately, you are conflating reception (reflexive data intake) with perception (integrated awareness), failing to distinguish between the mechanism of a map and the subjective experience of the territory.