RE: Mind-Body Problem

I find it interesting that modern scientists recognize that 90%+ of the matter and energy in the 'observable universe' are presumably 'dark matter' and 'dark energy', neither of which have ever been observed (we have merely postulated their existence based on secondary observations), yet we hold fast to theories based solely on the way matter and energy (the non-dark kinds) interact with each other.

It could certainly be that everything science labels "supernatural" are merely events, phenomena, and circumstances involving dark matter and dark energy interacting with matter and energy in ways heretofore unknown.

If we can acknowledge the existence (or likely existence) of dark matter and dark energy, then why must we dismiss supernatural phenomena as 'impossible', from a scientific standpoint.

We accept that matter and energy can be converted one to the other. What if matter can somehow be converted to dark matter, or dark energy to energy? In that instance, something disappearing and appearing before our eyes, against the 'laws of physics as we know them' would not only be plausible but perhaps even expected. And, a perpetual motion machine (or at least what would look like one) might be entirely possible (i.e. a machine that draws on dark energy and thus keeps running even though it receives no non-dark matter or energy as inputs).

These thoughts (and others) are contained in a very interesting book I studied with some of my students last year: Science Set Free, by Dr. Rupert Sheldrake.

In the book, he discusses consciousness, materialism, dualism, etc. at length.