"If you encounter a "spiritual" phenomenon--whatever it may be--and discuss it with someone hard over on material science, they will seek to disprove it or reject it ..."

The assumption there is that "discussion" is about disproving or rejecting the other person's way of thinking.

It can be more about trying to understand the other person and identifying where there is disagreement and where there are things held in common. That seems to me a more fruitful kind of discussion. This thread has largely been an example of this kind of discussion, which makes a pleasant change.