[XorNot]

Conversely fMRI data shows that apparently conscious action is preceded by significant activation of the relevant regions of the brain before areas associated with consciousness are engaged.

We see supporting behaviour with experiments in split brain patients.

So it's wholly unclear, IMO, that the experience of being conscious is necessary for complex planning and action.

[danielbln]

A good example might be driving on "autopilot" (not the Tesla kind, the human kind), meaning driving your usual commute and all of the sudden realizing that you can't really recall the last minutes, you were just going "through the motions". Now, driving is a complex task, with planning and action and such, yet it can happen entirely delegated to the subconscious.