Since this universe's goal is to survive, and what survives is a life form,
                        i.e. a combination of solid MEST and theta operating in the affinity range
                        (emotion), then survival can be seen as the EFFORT of theta to keep mest
                        experiencing emotion. See? Three ranges of the scale linked together there:
                        emotion, effort and MEST.

                        I'm sure you recall that the area of the tone scale just below Death 0.0 is
                        the EFFORT range.

                        So next one has to ask, what persists? MEST does. And if in the Mud universe
                        theta is operating in the 0.0 to -8 range of the tone scale, then the
                        "matter" in the Mud universe has to be one step below matter in this
                        universe. For the purposes of this discussion let's call that stuff "mudd"
                        (with two D's).

                        If the same pattern is followed in the Mud universe, then "persistence"
                        (goal: "to persist") would be the solidification of theta to keep "mudd"
                        efforting.

                        Please note that
                        if the pattern of reality in the Mud universe follows the pattern of higher
                        universes, then mudd would be immensely more solid than MEST, yet MEST would
                        interpenetrate mudd easily, the same way higher levels such as effort and
                        emotion can occupy the same space as MEST in this universe.

                        happy nightmares. ;-)
                        Ouran