  We argue that the eta-problem in supergravity inflation cannot be solved
without knowledge of the ground state of hidden sectors that are
gravitationally coupled to the inflaton. If the hidden sector breaks
supersymmetry independently, its fields cannot be stabilized during
cosmological evolution of the inflaton. We show that both the subsequent
dynamical mixing between sectors as well as the lightest mass of the hidden
sector are set by the scale of supersymmetry breaking in the hidden sector. The
true cosmological eta-parameter arises from a linear combination of the
lightest mode of the hidden sector with the inflaton. Generically, either the
true eta deviates considerably from the na\"ive eta implied by the inflaton
sector alone, or one has to consider a multifield model. Only if the lightest
mass in the hidden sector is much larger than the inflaton mass and if the
inflaton mass is much larger than the scale of hidden sector supersymmetry
breaking, is the effect of the hidden sector on the slow-roll dynamics of the
inflaton negligible.
