That’s only fair, since I claim it is physically/logically impossible to build something non-physical with physical components.
I don’t think there is a “mechanism”. I think consciousness is a fundamental property of matter, like mass and charge. But, unlike mass and charge, it is not a physical property. It is the capacity to subjectively experience.
I have only barely heard of this idea. Googling fort a few minutes, I can see why you would say it’s pretty close.
Correct.
Very true. 
My understanding/definition of consciousness is likely very different from yours. I don’t want to shift the focus of your thread by going too much into it, although it’s obviously connected. But this post has the gist of it: