Philosophical materialism is the metaphysical view that there is only one substance in the universe and that substance is physical, empirical or material. Regarding the "big questions",the sceptical or Materialistic explanation of the universe is that everything is matter and energy,and there is nothing else. Spiritual substance is a delusion. Consciousness is explained simply as an emergent phenomenon of the physical brain. There can therefore be no such things as the "supernatural ", paranormal phenomena,post-mortem existence, or occult phenomena. These are either delusions or reducible to physical forces. Materialists are not necessarily atheists (as it is possible to identify God with the material universe, as in Pantheism).However, Atheism is often a corollary of Materialism, especially in the sense of a denial of a supernatural personal God or any sort of higher creative power.Materialists do not deny the reality of such things as love or justice, beauty or goodness.[B][/B]