18.5 Direct and indirect life from God

One important consequence of Postulate 16 is that similar kinds of mechanisms are used between God and creation and between the separate degrees of creation. The later degrees are derivatives of the previous degree (as described in Section 18.1). The later degrees can also be direct derivatives from divine power. Because the differences between the degrees are similar to the differences between the degrees and God, derivative powers from either source can look the same once they are produced. Whether and how much this option is availed of by God remains to be seen. It is at least metaphysically possible that the world receives both direct life from God and also indirect life via the previous (higher) degrees. Physical bodies, for example, can be directly sustained by God and also, by essentially the same mechanisms, be indirectly sustained and controlled by the mental and the spiritual processes of the individual person. We do not have a case of overdetermination, as the actual effect of these two inputs is from their combination. They may cooperate or may be in tension. One input by itself, in such cases, can never completely override another.