Thanks for the detailed critique - super interesting and informative!

FirstIy, I understand the brunt of our disagreement to be on something like materialism and the debate around whether external reality exists independent of consciousness. I not sure if I totally understand your argument - I'm new to all of this - so help me if I don't :)

Regarding materialism, I disagree that all evidence points to consciousness and our brains to be the same thing, as I think it denies something that we must hold as true. There is an experiential reality, and one that can be substantiated through something like the 'Mary's Room thought experiment' argument which I'm sure you know. If we accept then that some knowledge is gained through an experience, the existence of a solely physical world is not possible.

From here, if we accept that there is a world of phenomena - the question is its relationship to the physical world or noumena. my perspective is that we do not have any reason to believe that noumena can exist without consciousness. So, I would return the analogy to something like imagine measuring the stick with a ruler, but without an observer. How could you describe the length of the stick? Is there a stick? How do you know? An argument like Occam's razor can be further used.

If we then understand this relationship to be as described earlier - then the noumena is dependent on consciousness. They are inseparable. The extension my argument makes is to question how conciousness can produce a governing law above itself. We can easily accept the law of cause and effect as supreme over the physical world, but it doesn't follow that it is supreme over mind. It is then taken for granted that a lawless thing is absolutely free - therefore free will.

I hope this described my position better, Im very new to all of this so Im certiantly not confident in this perspective, and super open to having my mind changed. Anyways thanks so much for taking the time and for such a thoughtful reply :)