This is wild speculation, and most unlikely. "Eating animals" in no way implies consciousness, and reflexes are different than neural networks. It's not cruel to eat animals, it's cruel to kill them, to terrify them, to cause them unnecessary pain. Nature is full of authentic cruelty, unlikely that most animals have the cognitive ability to understand cruelty. "Spirituality" is quite likely a neuro-chemical phenomenon, just as religions are most likely cultural phenomena.

All ways of eating involve ethical choices. The organic bean you eat is most often farmed on land that used to be range for wild creatures. The steak you eat may have been raised in humane conditions, killed without fear or pain...best to be aware of these choices so that you can determine your own authentic standards.