Thank you, Frank. Yes, this type of quote does seem to just be to make people feel better. The problem with these quotes is that they can be misinterpreted. As you say, people could interpret it to mean that being addicted to heroin is exactly what they need.

Sure, it's possible to learn from bad experiences. But there comes a point where it's just too much for anything good to come from it. For example, if I am involved in a minor car crash and nobody is hurt, it might be just the wake-up call I need to drive more carefully. But if I'm involved in a truly horrific car crash in which I lose my legs, genitals and eyesight, I would probably just want to kill myself after that.

You also make a good point about whether consciousness can evolve. Strictly speaking, in it's purest form, consciousness itself has no properties, good or bad. Consciousness is merely the ability to experience whatever is happening. It's the things that happen within consciousness that can evolve. Consciousness itelf is just the blank screen in which everything else is projected onto.