Did you recently discover the idea of epistemology or does your line of questioning have a purpose?

The OP suggested “The engineering-focused materialist way of looking at stuff like this makes my head and heart hurt.”

Therefore excluding “materialist way of looking at stuff” from the question of social theory

I have still yet to hear any elucidation with any type of philosophical rigor of why about the questions of humanity should exclude materialist lenses

Further, at no point was there a epistemological foundation laid for the claim that consciousness is the foundation apriori from materialism

I read it as an expression of personal experience, not a declaration of anything.

"Be not arrogant because of your knowledge, but confer with the ignorant man as with the learned, for the limits of skill are not attainable."

Here's a starter pack of resources:

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-holographic-unive...

https://www.essentiafoundation.org/

https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/

Be advised this is not something that can be understood through intellectualization. At some point you have to put down the books and seek out the experience.