Physicalism is perfectly valid (and correct) as far as explanation of all phenomena goes. Consciousness is not a phenomenon, it is not a substance, and the term does not denote mind being aware (of itself). Mind is physical exactly as software is at all times just the state of associated hardware -- software *is* hardware as mind *is* brain. That is simply non-negotiable.

Moreover, metaphysics *does* require "an absolute level of understanding," otherwise there are just wild speculations as demonstrated on both sides of this debate. That absolute level being self-realization which also reveals that, while the true nature of reality is unsubstantial (but definitely not spiritual, whatever that means), causal phenomena are physical -- there are constraints, no matter what we consider matter (or mass), energy, or information to be.

The only "miracle" we can talk about, then, is how all those phenomena arise "within" consciousness (which is btw. *the* singular person who exists -- each and every "I" is identical, in other words, there is just a single subject in existence). That "miracle" is, however, unsolvable from human perspective, but the problem is also kind of moot. And just for the record, I'm not talking about idealism as ideas are already a phenomenon and *not* the ontological primary (hence, there's no "mind of God" as many would like to have it).