My grand unifying theory

[Jon]

I've posted this elsewhere, but think this is the best place for it. :)


The Island


So, we already know that the island is 'special' in some way. It is responsible for Locke regaining the use of his legs, Rose finding that her malignant tumour has all but vanished, countless coincidences, the survivors seeing dead friends and relatives appearing amongst other bizarre occurences. All in all, these seem to be a fairly discordant array of miracles, but on closer inspection, they are all intrinsically related. I shall explain how they are.

As we discovered in the second season, the island emits some kind of highly focused and powerful electromagnetic force. I believe this force is so dense and potent that it is capable of sustaining thought forms from the unconscious mind of anyone in close proximity with it. What do I mean by a 'thoughtform'? It is an occult term, but here is a brief summary from wikipedia;

A Thoughtform may be understood as a 'psychospiritual' complex of energy or consciousness manifested either consciously or unconsciously,

In other words, a Thoughtform is, depending on your point of view, a type of hallucination that manifests. Is it a spiritual thing, or merely psychological? To the learned occultist, it doesn't matter. All that is important, is that the thoughtform acheives its purpose. (some are used for mundane purpose, such as acquiring money, others are created to be used as guides during lucid dreams or meditation).

My belief is that everybody on the island has been producing these hallucinations, and they manifest from the unconscious/subconscious minds of the survivors. Coupled with the real magic of the island, the electromagnetic ether, they are kickstarted into life, and given a form of solidity.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. In season 1, Walt was reading a comic book that featured a polar bear. Later on, the group were confronted by a polar bear. Coincidence? No, I believe that the polar bear was playing on Walt's mind (as a child he has less control over the workings of his mind) and the polar bear actually manifested, via his unconscious into reality.

Then of course, Jack saw his dead father. Hurley saw an old friend of his from the mental institute. Kate saw a black horse from her past. Ben even saw his dead mother when he was a child. And so on. It all makes sense when my theory is applied.

I also believe that Ben is aware of this. Perhaps he is one of the only people that is; if not the only one. It is without doubt one of the biggest secrets of the island, but whether or not he is able to create these thoughtforms himself is another question. It would certainly be an ironic and tragic twist if he was unable to. I am also convinced that Lockes father was nothing more than Lockes' own unconscious projection. It is possible that Ben thought Locke may also be aware of this secret; instructing him to kill his father would, in a sense, be like killing a detrimental part of his subconscious. This is why Ben was angered and disappointed when Locke was unable to; it showed that Locke didn't actually understand the secret of the island.

As for the healing; I believe that both Locke and Rose have somehow mastered the ability to focus their unconscious will for a positive benefit; both were healed. This, to Ben is of supreme importance because he intends on learning every secret of the island. It's possible that he doesn't know Rose had cancer, which she then cured. If he did know, then he would probably regard her with the same esteem that he does with Locke.


The coincidences


Lost is famous for it's bizarre, almost unbelievable coincidences. Again, I believe this can be explained with my theory. Firstly, there are many references to 'fate' in the Lost 'universe', so we have to assume that in it's own fictitious universe, fate exists. Probably the biggest coincidences that occur are those that involve characters appearing in the pasts of others.

It's clear that the writers aren't stupid, judging by the amount of esoteric references, so let me assume that they are familiar with the Jungian concept of synchronicity. Synchronicity, according to Carl Jung, differs from coincidence, in that it is meaningful. He believed that synchronicity was a result of a connecting principle to the universe, through the unconscious mind of the individual, and what was it I was discussing previously?..... The unconscious mind. If the island is capable of generating hallucinations from the unconscious then perhaps it is also of heightening synchronistic events? If fate exists in the Lost universe, then everyone was meant to arrive on the island. And if so, what's to stop these synchronicities reaching backwards into the pasts of the survivors?

Also, this in itself may be a meaningful coincidence; on the wikipedia page for synchronicity it cites two examples;

One of Jung's favourite quotes on Synchronicity was from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, in which the White Queen says to Alice: "It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards".

and

During production of the The Wizard of Oz, a coat purchased from a second-hand store for the costume of Professor Marvel was later discovered to have belonged to L. Frank Baum, author of the original children's book upon which the film is based.

Anyone who has watched the later episodes of season 3 of Lost will realise that both The wizard of Oz and Through The Looking Glass have been referenced; The name of the underwater base is 'The Looking Glass', and Ben's mother was even dressed like Alice (a blue dress) when she appeared in a vision to him as a child. (he also used a white rabbit to guide him across a potentially lethal field, another reference)

And of course, The previous episode, 'The Man Behind The Curtain' is a reference to a passage in the wizard of Oz, when Dorothy finds out that the wizard is nothing more than an illusionist behind a curtain. Ben even refered to himself as being 'The Wizard Of Oz' when Locke challenged him.

So that is a synchronicity in itself, unless of course the writers have been using wikipedia (which they have admitted to doing!)



Jacob & The Black Smoke


It appears on first inspection that Jacob is some kind of 'ghost' that is situated inside a ramshackle cabin; Locke is unable to see him, although he hears a deep growl pleading for help. Ben however, is capable of seeing him. But what is he exactly?

My theory is this; Jacob IS the Island. The Island itself has developed a form of consciousness out of the electromagnetic ether and this is what Ben is communicating with. This consciousness manifests AS Jacob.

It also makes perfect sense that Jacob/the island would cry for help; he has been violated by technology and science (hence Ben telling Locke to turn off his flashlight as Jacob hated technology). It is also possible that he realised people were coming, and once the island is discovered by the outside world, it is fairly obvious that it would be ravaged and exploited beyond belief.

My theory on Jacob goes even further though. Take for example the ancient chinese symbol of the Yin Yang;

The yin, the black side on the left, represents absence, passivity, feminity. The right side, the yang, represents force, dominance, masculinity. I believe that Jacob is actually representative of the yin; the passive side of the islands consciousness, whereas the smoke is representative of the yang; the forceful aggressive side. It is the smoke that is responsible for 'cleansing' the island. Take into account the amount of references to eastern mysticism in the show, and it could certainly be possible.


I honestly can't think of anything else that needs to be explained. If you have any questions, let me know.

:)

[justjoe]

Can you explain how Sawyer also saw Kate's horse? If this is her own subconcious projecting these images on the island, how is it possible for someone else to see them. Also Sawyer saw and killed Locke's dad and Locke brought a body back to Ben. Whose body we don't know because we never got to see it but the question remains, how was Sawyer able to see him?

I too believe fate plays a huge role in all of this. As far as The Wizard of Oz references, this has been going on since the show started. The writers are big on giving props to their favorite writings, movies etc... on this show.

If the island/Jacob is the peaceful side then why did it shake the cabin and throw Ben against a wall making both Ben and Locke run for their lives?

Just some questions I had.

[bunnydixon]

i like your theory, its well thought out and explained well but i have a few things i need to say.

firstly regarding the polar bears - i think the writers wanted us to believe that the polar bear was something that walt manifested, perhaps a combination of his subconscious after reading the comic and his 'abilities' but now we know of course that they were actually on the island as part of dharmas research (the rehabitualisation aspect IMO).

Dave - he was actually a figment of Hurelys imagination (as far as we are aware) and there is no evidence to support the fact that he has at one point actually existed. although i guess you could hallucinate previous hallucinations.

also as joe has mentioned, others have also seen peoples hallucinations - sawyer with kates horse and even vincent has seen christian so am not sure how that would work unless they are now permanent manifestations but surely we would see them a lot more frequently as the island would end up overcrowded lol!

also, with regard to the healing, why did bens tumour not go? he has been on the island longer than rose and locke and i find it hard to believe that they would both have mastered this art in such a short space of time whilst ben is still struggling with it.

if jacob is peaceful and has ben helping him, how can he condone the purge?

however, i fully agree that coincidences play a big part in the show and the writers definitely give a nod toward the the wizard of oz and alice in wonderland tales.

also, was wondering what you make of the black rock and any idea where hanso and widmore tie into it all?

[Jon]

Can you explain how Sawyer also saw Kate's horse? If this is her own subconcious projecting these images on the island, how is it possible for someone else to see them. Also Sawyer saw and killed Locke's dad and Locke brought a body back to Ben. Whose body we don't know because we never got to see it but the question remains, how was Sawyer able to see him?

Because what I'm postulating is that these manifestations are more than just hallucinations.... they are actually made real by the islands powers.


If the island/Jacob is the peaceful side then why did it shake the cabin and throw Ben against a wall making both Ben and Locke run for their lives?

Good question, but perhaps it was in the process of turning into a cloud of smoke? ie; it had been angered and when this occurs it summons all those iron filings into ol' smokey.

firstly regarding the polar bears - i think the writers wanted us to believe that the polar bear was something that walt manifested, perhaps a combination of his subconscious after reading the comic and his 'abilities' but now we know of course that they were actually on the island as part of dharmas research (the rehabitualisation aspect IMO).

Yeah that's right. The polar bear thing was a bit of a red herring.

also as joe has mentioned, others have also seen peoples hallucinations - sawyer with kates horse and even vincent has seen christian so am not sure how that would work unless they are now permanent manifestations but surely we would see them a lot more frequently as the island would end up overcrowded lol!

I don't think there are strict rules with the hallucinations. It seems that they just 'come and go' when they are playing on people's minds. But saying that, maybe they do go somewhere? (ie, perhaps the temple?)

also, with regard to the healing, why did bens tumour not go? he has been on the island longer than rose and locke and i find it hard to believe that they would both have mastered this art in such a short space of time whilst ben is still struggling with it.

I was hoping you'd say this, because I do have an answer for it. I think Ben's trouble is that he was consciously willing himself to be healed, which was the wrong approach. The island works on the subconscious (or unconscious). It's quite poetic and tragic that the one person who understands the island's secret, can't properly use it.... non? :)

if jacob is peaceful and has ben helping him, how can he condone the purge?

When I say that Jacob is the ''yin'' side of the island's consciousness, I don't necessarily mean that he is peaceful. If anything, Jacob I feel is the ''approachable side'' whereas smokey is the physical/active side.

I think Lost goes beyond concepts of good and evil, though they are toyed with. So to us, killing the Dharma colony is totally reprehensible and cruel, but to Jacob it is a just act because they are parasites trying to exploit him. Everything seems to be relative.

also, was wondering what you make of the black rock and any idea where hanso and widmore tie into it all?

I think Richard was probably one of the people on the black rock, and has lived there ever since (the healing also applies to aging). The Dharma project was possibly the first time anyone else entered the island since the black rock situation, and so Richard was keen to recruit Ben and initiate him into the ways of the island.

I honestly have no clue about Hanso, but it wouldn't surprise me if he was living on the island somewhere :)

I think Widmore is certainly out to exploit the island, along with Mr Paik (possibly as a partner, or maybe competing against him).

Thanks for your replies, feel free to drop any more questions...

[bunnydixon]

i like your response to the healing question - that makes a lotta sense :)

[Jon]

I'm glad... I'd been storing it away, waiting to unleash it :)

[bunnydixon]

and you are basically saying that jacob and smokie are actually one entity that manifest accordingly depending on the mood so to speak?

[Jon]

and you are basically saying that jacob and smokie are actually one entity that manifest accordingly depending on the mood so to speak?

I'm saying that smokie and Jacob are different aspects of the island's 'consciousness'. In a sense, Jacob is the very heart of the island, the part that you can communicate with. So yeah, that's basically correct :)

[thatguy9]

what to you think about the statue?

[Jon]

what to you think about the statue?

To be perfectly honest, not much. As other people have said, it's going to probably tie in somehow with Charlotte's anthropological research but I really don't have any specific ideas about it. I think the writers could go pretty much any direction with it.

However I do think that the rest of the statue will be found at some point... maybe in the temple? I've got a feeling that it's head will look exactly like John Locke's :D

[damon]

i'm so glad that you think that these manifestations and things might be in the temple! i had a extremely bizarre dream about the temple and it totally ****ed with my head. still does. but in my dream, all of these sort of halucination-style manifestaions were there in the end(kind of like the black lodge in twin peaks). it has freaked me out for weeks. i think the temple is going to be quite the place to see. ahhhhhh!!!!

[Jon]

i'm so glad that you think that these manifestations and things might be in the temple! i had a extremely bizarre dream about the temple and it totally ****ed with my head. still does. but in my dream, all of these sort of halucination-style manifestaions were there in the end(kind of like the black lodge in twin peaks). it has freaked me out for weeks. i think the temple is going to be quite the place to see. ahhhhhh!!!!

Funny you should say that, I've often thought that the temple might be somehow similar to the black lodge... you know, like some sort of 'glitch realm.' The black lodge still haunts my dreams!

Maybe the head from the statue ruins is there and the manifestated hallucinations are actually 'born' inside of it.... that would be quite cool :)

[justjoe]

Sorry, what is the black lodge?

[damon]

Sorry, what is the black lodge?

it's place in the show twin peaks. sort of an evil alternate dimension. really f'ed up.

[notsolost42]

I'm sorry but Walt demonstrated his powers before they ever got to the island. While still in Germany I believe, it was something about a bird that fly into the glass window or to that effect. This was when Michael went to pick him up after his mother's death. That was the first time that Walt had demonstrated his special abilities.

[justjoe]

Well that was the first time we saw it anyway. He had done it previous to that which is why his stepdad wanted to dump him off on Michael.

[JJ McAbraham]

Not too bad Jon. One question I have is how did Jacob's house get built. Did he just find an old cabin and set up shop? I also believe that Ben got the tumor because of the purge he was involved in. Karma.

Also, it was explained how Locke's father was to be on the island. He was abducted by someone working for Ben on the main land.

Lastly, we do not actually konw that Rose is healed. For all we know, she dies in the next episode.


The idea of Jacob and the Smoke is going to come to fruition at some point, but it may turn out to be very different than we expect.

[Jon]

I'm sorry but Walt demonstrated his powers before they ever got to the island. While still in Germany I believe, it was something about a bird that fly into the glass window or to that effect. This was when Michael went to pick him up after his mother's death. That was the first time that Walt had demonstrated his special abilities.

Okay, so let's then assume that Walt had powers before. But maybe the others knew that Walt's already ''psychic'' abilities would be magnified ten-fold on the island, so they kidnapped him to keep watch over him & make sure his powers didn't get out of hand?

Not too bad Jon. One question I have is how did Jacob's house get built. Did he just find an old cabin and set up shop?

Good question. Though I don't think the cabin exists in a physical sense, i believe it's just a visual metaphor/device for the place where the very ''mind'' of the island exists... and a pretty creepy one at that :)

I've been rewatching Lost from season 2 onwards, and I noticed something else that ties in with my theory. It's the episode where Charlie and Sawyer scheme the guns away.

In the following episode, Sawyer is being terrorised/irritated by a toad that hardly anyone else can hear. He finds it and crushes it. Now, using my theory of the island manifesting subconscious urges, you could say that Sawyer was perhaps unintentionally manifesting the toad - he was subconsciously disappointed at how sneaky and manipulative he'd been to steal the guns, and a 'toad' is an insult for a rogueish person (or to quote thefreedictionary.com) 'A person regarded as repulsive'.

Maybe? :cool:

And finally... I still don't believe that Locke's father was kidnapped and taken to the island by the others. After all, didn't he say he was in a car crash and then he just appeared there? I'm sure that he is simply a 'manifested hallucination'.

And if he is, he would probably 'think' that he got there by natural means. He wouldn't realise he was a just a hallucination would he, in the same way that Dave (Hurley's 'friend') didn't realise he himself was a hallucination.

[bunnydixon]

i dont think we can fully include dave yet as he was already a hallucination and i am confused with your explanation about lockes dad - if he is just a hallucination, is he still alive off the island? or was it more an out of body experience? like his soul was killed on the island, therefore his physical being off the island died also - and it looked like a result of the car crash?

waffle much? lol!

i agree with jacob cabin that it is maybe one of your thoughtforms that you mentioned? one of jacobs that has now being a tangible, permanent thing.

[Jon]

i dont think we can fully include dave yet as he was already a hallucination

I was just using Dave as an example of a hallucination not realising it's a hallucination. Didn't mean to include him to advance my theory as such :)

i am confused with your explanation about lockes dad - if he is just a hallucination, is he still alive off the island?

Yeah I think he's still alive and conning off the island. I think when Sawyer killed him, he simply killed a 'manifested hallucination'.

[bunnydixon]

ooh interesting!

although he is listed on lostpedia as deceased lol! not that its gospel.

do you think that if he is alive he will feature in the show again - not in flashbacks of course.

[justjoe]

How can Sawyer kill a hallucination? I have hallucinated once or twice and never kicked the crap out of it.

[Workman]

How can Sawyer kill a hallucination? I have hallucinated once or twice and never kicked the crap out of it.

I've read through this whole thread and I think the main point is that Locke's hallucination (and other Losties hallucinations) of his father was made into a real living/breathing thing by the island...almost clone like. Jon's point is that Sawyer may have killed this being on the island, but Locke's real father may still be back in the "real" world somewhere.

[bunnydixon]

How can Sawyer kill a hallucination? I have hallucinated once or twice and never kicked the crap out of it.


did you even try? :p

[justjoe]

did you even try?

Well... no. But in my defense I was hallucinating. Ha ha

P.S. for the record I have never really hallucinated so I don't know what I am talking about.

[Workman]

Well... no. But in my defense I was hallucinating. Ha ha

P.S. for the record I have never really hallucinated so I don't know what I am talking about.

Riiiiiiiiiight...cover the tracks now. I thought we were learning a little more about your night life and experimentation habits.

[justjoe]

I'm sorry. What were we talking about again? (sarcasm)

[bunnydixon]

i think it was you hallucinating that you hallucinated :p lol!

[Jon]

I've read through this whole thread and I think the main point is that Locke's hallucination (and other Losties hallucinations) of his father was made into a real living/breathing thing by the island...almost clone like. Jon's point is that Sawyer may have killed this being on the island, but Locke's real father may still be back in the "real" world somewhere.

Correct :)

[bunnydixon]

are you plugging your own thread there jon? lol!

[ChristiK]

I love this theory. Hurley seeing Charlie in his flash forward is the first thing I thought of when I read it. It would explain how Charlie was able to slap him. The only problem is, they weren't on the island when it happened.

[JJ McAbraham]

I love this theory. Hurley seeing Charlie in his flash forward is the first thing I thought of when I read it. It would explain how Charlie was able to slap him. The only problem is, they weren't on the island when it happened.

Alright, I cant hold my tongue anymore. When you hallucinate, (which I have any many occasions via LSD) your mind goes places it would otherwise be affraid of. Hurley is a schizophrenic, and he projects himself and his deepest thoughts into what he feels are physical entities. When you hallucinate, you feel everything your body wants you to... you body and mind are able to produce real feelings because our senses are flawed as humans. When I have tripped, I was able to smell the sound waves coming out the speakers. When Hurley "feels" Charlie slap him, he really does feel it because the nerves in the face hurt because his brain is telling him that it is real. That may sound odd, but I assure you it is true. I hope someone can back me up. Your mind doesnt know what is "real" and what is not, because we all know that dreams can be more real than life itself. Our minds take in information via the senses, but once they are in the mind, its a free-for-all.

I have also thought (during a trip) that I was inside a giant mouth. My mind was hallucinating so hard that my hands and feet were dripping with sweat. Now this may sound crazy, but in my mind I thought they were wet from being in a mouth, but my brain told my hands and feet to sweat to complete the feelings I was going through.

I really hope someone can add something to this. Ill write more later... Im going to eat some dinner real quick.

[bunnydixon]

hurley is not a schizophrenic.

[JJ McAbraham]

hurley is not a schizophrenic.

Whatever he is. He projects himself into people he believes are real. Hurley has a lot of deep turmoil and hatred for himself and those thoughts come through as hallucinations... Dave and Charlie.

[Jon]

I'm glad you like the theory ChristiK :) and JJ that's an interesting post.

I think that it's possible foryou to leave the island, but I don't think the island ever leaves you. Maybe the thoughtforms (or hallucinations, or manifestations) are only experienced by people who have been on the island long enough; for example an outsider watching footage of Ben walking inside Jacob's cabin would simply see Ben talking to himself in a field.

The losties however, may see the ramshackle cabin and even Jacob (if they have been initiated into doing so by the island; as I believe Jacob is the very heart of the island's consciousness, not everyone is blessed enough to see him.)

It's almost as if the hallucinations/thoughtforms operate within some sort of collective reality of the islanders.

[JJ McAbraham]

I completely support the Jacob and Black Smoke idea. I believe they represent the "good" and "evil" or "dark and light" sides of the island. John Locke would not have made that profound statement in the first episode (maybe it was the second) if it was not related to something massive... Jacob and the Smoke. "The Persians called it "Takhteh Nard"
which means "Battle on Wood". Two
players. Two sides. One is light. One
is dark. " I copied that from the script.

Perhaps this means that Jacob and the Smoke are actually at odds with one another.


Im still struggling with the idea of the cabin not being real. Hurley saw the cabin and then it wasnt there, but the gun powder remained. That does not really add up at all. I think the Smoke might have destroyed the cabin after Locke was there. Also, it's a huge stretch to reguard things as real or a hallucination... it moves the direction of the show away from plausible thought.

[Jon]

Im still struggling with the idea of the cabin not being real. Hurley saw the cabin and then it wasnt there, but the gun powder remained. That does not really add up at all. I think the Smoke might have destroyed the cabin after Locke was there. Also, it's a huge stretch to reguard things as real or a hallucination... it moves the direction of the show away from plausible thought.

It's behaviour is far too erratic/transient to be real in a 'physical sense' in my opinion. It shifts from place to place, disappears when you're trying to find it and appears when you aren't looking for it.

And it contains a random eyeball and Jack's dead father. :) I don't think physical rules apply to it.

I'm sure smokey hasn't destroyed it. We have definitely not seen the last of that cabin...

[Here'sLOCKEing at you,Kid]

I'm glad you like the theory ChristiK :) and JJ that's an interesting post.

I think that it's possible foryou to leave the island, but I don't think the island ever leaves you. Maybe the thoughtforms (or hallucinations, or manifestations) are only experienced by people who have been on the island long enough; for example an outsider watching footage of Ben walking inside Jacob's cabin would simply see Ben talking to himself in a field.

The losties however, may see the ramshackle cabin and even Jacob (if they have been initiated into doing so by the island; as I believe Jacob is the very heart of the island's consciousness, not everyone is blessed enough to see him.)

It's almost as if the hallucinations/thoughtforms operate within some sort of collective reality of the islanders.

Yes, Jacob probably is very well the heart of the island's consciousness, and it's curious that Ben fully expected Locke to see the cabin but was quite taken aback when Locke actually heard Jacob's voice. And they both were taken aback that Hugo saw the cabin... It puzzled me, however, why the cabin disappeared then reappeared to Hugo - like it was toying with him...

[JJ McAbraham]

It's behaviour is far too erratic/transient to be real in a 'physical sense' in my opinion. It shifts from place to place, disappears when you're trying to find it and appears when you aren't looking for it.

And it contains a random eyeball and Jack's dead father. :) I don't think physical rules apply to it.

I'm sure smokey hasn't destroyed it. We have definitely not seen the last of that cabin...

Wait wait wait, what are you talking about with the eyeball and Jack's dead father... I am not following here.

[Jon]

Wait wait wait, what are you talking about with the eyeball and Jack's dead father... I am not following here.

Christian Shepherd was seen in the cabin when Hurley peered through the window... and he saw an eye peering at him (possibly Mikhail's)

[wvugurl]

i did not think this was confirmed that it was jacks dad...maybe im wrong, but thought it to still be up for debate....

i like how this is all thought out, however, this would be like saying that the show ends with hurley waking up in a mental institution and it all being a dream....kind of same lines to me...the writers have said it will be nothing like that...wouldnt this theory bring on a dream like state for the show???...

dont get me wrong, i am not knocking your theory, just having a hard time buying it...for all we know, all of our theories are a possiblity at this time and i will applaud anyone who has guessed correctly, but i think i will be disappointed if the show turns out to be a hallicunation.

[Jon]

i did not think this was confirmed that it was jacks dad...maybe im wrong, but thought it to still be up for debate....


Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindeldorf confirmed that it was Jack's dad in Jacob's cabin in one of their podcasts. They even commended the 'eagle eyed viewers' who spotted him (which unfortunately I was not one of... I only realised it was Christian Shepherd after seeing a screenshot someone uploaded).

I like how this is all thought out, however, this would be like saying that the show ends with hurley waking up in a mental institution and it all being a dream....kind of same lines to me...the writers have said it will be nothing like that...wouldnt this theory bring on a dream like state for the show???...

dont get me wrong, i am not knocking your theory, just having a hard time buying it...for all we know, all of our theories are a possiblity at this time and i will applaud anyone who has guessed correctly, but i think i will be disappointed if the show turns out to be a hallicunation.

Thanks for the comment, but my theory definitely isn't in the 'the-whole-thing-was-a-dream' scenario.

All i'm theorising is that the electromagnetic potency of the island toys with the subconscious minds of whoever is on it (or in proximity to it). The effects of this magnetic field range from hyper-placebo effects (such as curing cancer and paralysis) to coincidence to actually manifesting things from people to objects.... the list of what can be acheived is vast.

I really think the writers were trying to tap into the zeitgeist surrounding new age movements such as 'the secret' and 'what the bleep do we know' which follow the occult ideas of being able to manifest things that you desire. In a sense, magic. And the island is a powerhouse of manifestation because of it's electromagnetic anomalies.

Some of the others have manipulated this successfully (Richard not aging, Mikhail being like a modern day rasputin... Ethan's super strength - remember he lifted Charlie off the ground with one hand). They are the magicians, the adepts.

The island is real. The characters are real and have real pasts. The danger is real. And the manifestations become real... they are more than just hallucinations and are actually sustained in the collective reality by some force, most probably the electromagnetic ether.

[Jon]

I also want to add that I may be completely wrong about everything... after all it is just a hypothesis.

But the theory makes sense to me, and ties the loose ends together in possibly the simplest way I can think of. I know I shouldn't be trying to evoke Occham's razor for a science fiction television show, but still.... I've racked my brains but nothing else seems to fit.. considering the eclectic array of miracles the island has produced anyhow.

:cool::rolleyes:

[ai2301]

This quote is from another thread...


The whole point is that the hallucinations don't know they are hallucinations. I did actually explain this in my thread. Cooper is alive in the real world, and thus the hallucination believes he is alive.


So are you saying that the hallucination can become a physical being on the island and die a physical death while still living in the "real world"? That's the thought of a poster in the other thread which I just don't see happening. Perhaps they are misunderstanding your theory on this, or am I?
________
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[wvugurl]

k i am officially lost...like i said i liked your thought out theory..but im not good at putting it all together as you have...i just know if this is hullicinations..i will be pissed...and i also said i would applaud anyones lost theory being correct....

[Jon]

So are you saying that the hallucination can become a physical being on the island and die a physical death while still living in the "real world"?

Yep. :) The 'real world' being has no idea that a version of it has been manifested on the island... it's kind of like how when someone has a dream that you are in, you have no idea that a 'dream self' of you has been created.

Why should the death of a 'thoughtform' on the island affect someone in the real world? I don't think it does, or that there is any reason for it doing so.

Another way of looking at it is when you have a particularly vivid dream involving someone; I had a dream of my old boss dying in a car accident and at work the following day I felt far more sympathetic towards her, because my dream was so vivid. I knew it was just a dream, but it seemed so real at the time.

I think it's a similar situation on the island. You have a chance to either reconcile with or kill off those detrimental figures that are dragged up from your subconscious. It presents you with ways to make peace with yourself. I'm sure that Jack's subconscious manifested his father for him because their relationship at the end was tempestuous and he is still in need of reconciliation.

With Locke, who's father was beyond second chances, the only way of banishing him was to kill him. This is exactly why Ben had such a vested interest in Locke doing so; he was giving him an opportunity of freeing his psyche but Locke was reluctant to take it.

[ai2301]

Yep. :)

Why should the death of a 'thoughtform' on the island affect someone in the real world? I don't think it does, or that there is any reason for it doing so.


The death of the thoughtform resulting in a physical body would have a pretty profound affect on the 'real word' if said body was returned to the 'real world'.

Let's say that Anthony Cooper's body is returned to the states and identified. So then we'd have a living and a dead Anthony Cooper. That would be a bit odd.
________
SweetyPussycat (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/cam/SweetyPussycat/)

[Jon]

The death of the thoughtform resulting in a physical body would have a pretty profound affect on the 'real word' if said body was returned to the 'real world'.

Let's say that Anthony Cooper's body is returned to the states and identified. So then we'd have a living and a dead Anthony Cooper. That would be a bit odd.

It would, but i'm sure that Cooper's (nor anyones) bodies would be intentionally returned to the 'real' world.

But it's interesting you bring this up because I'm sure there could be a 'doppelganger' scenario at some point, where the manifestations do escape.... maybe. :cool:

[ai2301]

It would, but i'm sure that Cooper's (nor anyones) bodies would be intentionally returned to the 'real' world.

But it's interesting you bring this up because I'm sure there could be a 'doppelganger' scenario at some point, where the manifestations do escape.... maybe. :cool:

I think there may be something to the island tapping into the subconcious but I think there's too wide of variety of things happening with the so-called 'living hallucinations' to be living.

Locke's father took on a very real role- taunting him, being angry etc. while Christian Shepherd seems totally disinterested in his son and daughter- pretty odd for a now-living father to do. He doesn't even question his surroundings while Locke's father did, in fact he seemed to have intimate knowledge of things to come in mentioning that Jack had "work to do" in the very beginning.

Island-generated hallucinations with a specific purpose, sure I can see that, but becoming real is a stretch.
________
Paxil Settlements (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/paxil/)

[Jon]

Locke's father took on a very real role- taunting him, being angry etc.

But maybe he acted like that because Locke's mind expected him to act that way.... in other words, the thoughtforms are born out of expectations - they behave how your mind assumes/expects the person to behave.

Christian Shepherd seems totally disinterested in his son and daughter- pretty odd for a now-living father to do.

Jack, however, knew his father was dead. Therefore his mind has 'filled in the blanks', and has created an ominous/ghostly version of his father. It won't behave like his living father because he knows he is dead.

Island-generated hallucinations with a specific purpose, sure I can see that, but becoming real is a stretch.

I think I mentioned briefly in an earlier post, but when I mean 'they become real', I'm being deliberately ambiguous because I'm not sure myself of whether or not they are 'real' in terms of off-island prescence.

Maybe they are only *real* if your mind is within the electromagnetic field of the island. I mean, you can make people see, hear and feel things that aren't there by stimulating the right areas of the brain, because sensory experience is simply the effect of the brain intercepting messages.

Another way of explaining it is that the manifestations are as good as being real. (If you're on the island, anyway), as they are sustained in the collective unconscious/ collective reality of the inhabitants.

[ai2301]

Jack, however, knew his father was dead. Therefore his mind has 'filled in the blanks', and has created an ominous/ghostly version of his father. It won't behave like his living father because he knows he is dead.


So what do you think about Dave? Hurley knew Dave was not real therefore the Dave he conjured wuld have known he wasn't real, so why would he have tried to convince Hurley that the island was not real?

On the bright side, at most we only have a couple of years before we kow all the answers;-)
________
AROMED 4 (http://vaporizerinfo.com/)

[Jon]

So what do you think about Dave? Hurley knew Dave was not real therefore the Dave he conjured wuld have known he wasn't real, so why would he have tried to convince Hurley that the island was not real?

The fact that Dave tried telling Hurley the island and everything else wasn't real, is probably how I'd expect a hallucination of Dave's kind to act... he appeared there to plant seeds of doubt in Hurley and to trick him. Hurley may have even started subconsciously doubting himself over the whole 'Dave' thing and whether or not he was real or hallucination at all.

[Chipper123]

I've posted this elsewhere, but think this is the best place for it. :)


The Island


So, we already know that the island is 'special' in some way. It is responsible for Locke regaining the use of his legs, Rose finding that her malignant tumour has all but vanished, countless coincidences, the survivors seeing dead friends and relatives appearing amongst other bizarre occurences. All in all, these seem to be a fairly discordant array of miracles, but on closer inspection, they are all intrinsically related. I shall explain how they are.

As we discovered in the second season, the island emits some kind of highly focused and powerful electromagnetic force. I believe this force is so dense and potent that it is capable of sustaining thought forms from the unconscious mind of anyone in close proximity with it. What do I mean by a 'thoughtform'? It is an occult term, but here is a brief summary from wikipedia;

A Thoughtform may be understood as a 'psychospiritual' complex of energy or consciousness manifested either consciously or unconsciously,

In other words, a Thoughtform is, depending on your point of view, a type of hallucination that manifests. Is it a spiritual thing, or merely psychological? To the learned occultist, it doesn't matter. All that is important, is that the thoughtform acheives its purpose. (some are used for mundane purpose, such as acquiring money, others are created to be used as guides during lucid dreams or meditation).

My belief is that everybody on the island has been producing these hallucinations, and they manifest from the unconscious/subconscious minds of the survivors. Coupled with the real magic of the island, the electromagnetic ether, they are kickstarted into life, and given a form of solidity.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. In season 1, Walt was reading a comic book that featured a polar bear. Later on, the group were confronted by a polar bear. Coincidence? No, I believe that the polar bear was playing on Walt's mind (as a child he has less control over the workings of his mind) and the polar bear actually manifested, via his unconscious into reality.

Then of course, Jack saw his dead father. Hurley saw an old friend of his from the mental institute. Kate saw a black horse from her past. Ben even saw his dead mother when he was a child. And so on. It all makes sense when my theory is applied.

I also believe that Ben is aware of this. Perhaps he is one of the only people that is; if not the only one. It is without doubt one of the biggest secrets of the island, but whether or not he is able to create these thoughtforms himself is another question. It would certainly be an ironic and tragic twist if he was unable to. I am also convinced that Lockes father was nothing more than Lockes' own unconscious projection. It is possible that Ben thought Locke may also be aware of this secret; instructing him to kill his father would, in a sense, be like killing a detrimental part of his subconscious. This is why Ben was angered and disappointed when Locke was unable to; it showed that Locke didn't actually understand the secret of the island.

As for the healing; I believe that both Locke and Rose have somehow mastered the ability to focus their unconscious will for a positive benefit; both were healed. This, to Ben is of supreme importance because he intends on learning every secret of the island. It's possible that he doesn't know Rose had cancer, which she then cured. If he did know, then he would probably regard her with the same esteem that he does with Locke.


The coincidences


Lost is famous for it's bizarre, almost unbelievable coincidences. Again, I believe this can be explained with my theory. Firstly, there are many references to 'fate' in the Lost 'universe', so we have to assume that in it's own fictitious universe, fate exists. Probably the biggest coincidences that occur are those that involve characters appearing in the pasts of others.

It's clear that the writers aren't stupid, judging by the amount of esoteric references, so let me assume that they are familiar with the Jungian concept of synchronicity. Synchronicity, according to Carl Jung, differs from coincidence, in that it is meaningful. He believed that synchronicity was a result of a connecting principle to the universe, through the unconscious mind of the individual, and what was it I was discussing previously?..... The unconscious mind. If the island is capable of generating hallucinations from the unconscious then perhaps it is also of heightening synchronistic events? If fate exists in the Lost universe, then everyone was meant to arrive on the island. And if so, what's to stop these synchronicities reaching backwards into the pasts of the survivors?

Also, this in itself may be a meaningful coincidence; on the wikipedia page for synchronicity it cites two examples;

One of Jung's favourite quotes on Synchronicity was from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, in which the White Queen says to Alice: "It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards".

and

During production of the The Wizard of Oz, a coat purchased from a second-hand store for the costume of Professor Marvel was later discovered to have belonged to L. Frank Baum, author of the original children's book upon which the film is based.

Anyone who has watched the later episodes of season 3 of Lost will realise that both The wizard of Oz and Through The Looking Glass have been referenced; The name of the underwater base is 'The Looking Glass', and Ben's mother was even dressed like Alice (a blue dress) when she appeared in a vision to him as a child. (he also used a white rabbit to guide him across a potentially lethal field, another reference)

And of course, The previous episode, 'The Man Behind The Curtain' is a reference to a passage in the wizard of Oz, when Dorothy finds out that the wizard is nothing more than an illusionist behind a curtain. Ben even refered to himself as being 'The Wizard Of Oz' when Locke challenged him.

So that is a synchronicity in itself, unless of course the writers have been using wikipedia (which they have admitted to doing!)



Jacob & The Black Smoke


It appears on first inspection that Jacob is some kind of 'ghost' that is situated inside a ramshackle cabin; Locke is unable to see him, although he hears a deep growl pleading for help. Ben however, is capable of seeing him. But what is he exactly?

My theory is this; Jacob IS the Island. The Island itself has developed a form of consciousness out of the electromagnetic ether and this is what Ben is communicating with. This consciousness manifests AS Jacob.

It also makes perfect sense that Jacob/the island would cry for help; he has been violated by technology and science (hence Ben telling Locke to turn off his flashlight as Jacob hated technology). It is also possible that he realised people were coming, and once the island is discovered by the outside world, it is fairly obvious that it would be ravaged and exploited beyond belief.

My theory on Jacob goes even further though. Take for example the ancient chinese symbol of the Yin Yang;

The yin, the black side on the left, represents absence, passivity, feminity. The right side, the yang, represents force, dominance, masculinity. I believe that Jacob is actually representative of the yin; the passive side of the islands consciousness, whereas the smoke is representative of the yang; the forceful aggressive side. It is the smoke that is responsible for 'cleansing' the island. Take into account the amount of references to eastern mysticism in the show, and it could certainly be possible.


I honestly can't think of anything else that needs to be explained. If you have any questions, let me know.

:)
Well my theory is that they were all meant to be otherwize something unimaginable would happen. Like to all their lives would be destroyed in some sort of way. Clares baby is obviosly special because her psychic told her that she had to raise her kid alone. Then the person with cancer went to the same psychic to deal with it, but he couldn't cure her, but on the island she is alright. Locke was pushed out of a window by his dad who was incidently a part of Sawyers life as the person who caused his dad to commit suicide. Lockes dad turns up and Sawyer and Locke get their revenge, on the island Locke isn't paralysed. Then Sun was going to leave Jin but then he produced a simple flower and she turned back to him. But why? i always thought that her and Michael were going to have a fling. Walt has special powers that affect things around him and i suppose he soesn't want to go of the island because he is so close to his dad and locke now. Kate and this horse is probobly got something to do with the person who she loved who evidently had a plane that mysteriously looked like the ocianic flight plane, did he know? And then you've got jack and Hurly finding that part of themselves like Hurlys imaginary friend and Jacks dad appear on the island.

[MonicaLynn60]

Because what I'm postulating is that these manifestations are more than just hallucinations.... they are actually made real by the islands powers.



Good question, but perhaps it was in the process of turning into a cloud of smoke? ie; it had been angered and when this occurs it summons all those iron filings into ol' smokey.



Yeah that's right. The polar bear thing was a bit of a red herring.





I don't think there are strict rules with the hallucinations. It seems that they just 'come and go' when they are playing on people's minds. But saying that, maybe they do go somewhere? (ie, perhaps the temple?)



I was hoping you'd say this, because I do have an answer for it. I think Ben's trouble is that he was consciously willing himself to be healed, which was the wrong approach. The island works on the subconscious (or unconscious). It's quite poetic and tragic that the one person who understands the island's secret, can't properly use it.... non? :)



When I say that Jacob is the ''yin'' side of the island's consciousness, I don't necessarily mean that he is peaceful. If anything, Jacob I feel is the ''approachable side'' whereas smokey is the physical/active side.

I think Lost goes beyond concepts of good and evil, though they are toyed with. So to us, killing the Dharma colony is totally reprehensible and cruel, but to Jacob it is a just act because they are parasites trying to exploit him. Everything seems to be relative.



I think Richard was probably one of the people on the black rock, and has lived there ever since (the healing also applies to aging). The Dharma project was possibly the first time anyone else entered the island since the black rock situation, and so Richard was keen to recruit Ben and initiate him into the ways of the island.

I honestly have no clue about Hanso, but it wouldn't surprise me if he was living on the island somewhere :)

I think Widmore is certainly out to exploit the island, along with Mr Paik (possibly as a partner, or maybe competing against him).

Thanks for your replies, feel free to drop any more questions...




Ummm...okay, I think I'm a little confused here....are you suggesting that the plane didn't actully crash and that these people are just hallucinating this? **OR are you suggesting that the plane DID crash, these people are just laying scattered across the beach hallucinating all of this?
**OR, are you suggesting the plane DID crash...and some of this stuff is happeneing....but other stuff isn't? Some of it's an Hallucination, while other stuff isn't.

Huh?

[Jon]

Ummm...okay, I think I'm a little confused here....are you suggesting that the plane didn't actully crash and that these people are just hallucinating this? **OR are you suggesting that the plane DID crash, these people are just laying scattered across the beach hallucinating all of this?
**OR, are you suggesting the plane DID crash...and some of this stuff is happeneing....but other stuff isn't? Some of it's an Hallucination, while other stuff isn't.

Huh?

I'm suggesting that the plane crashed, everything is happening and everything is real. But things like Jack's father, Kate's horse, manifestations of Walt, Dave, Locke's father, Yemi etc are hallucinations from the subconscious minds of the losties that actually manifest due to the electromagnetic magic of the island.

In fact, I've actually come to believe that maybe they are made of the same 'material' as the smoke monster... billions of electromagnetic particles may somehow collate and fuse together making 'real', solid hallucinations. That would involve a bit of unknowing telekinesis, but I guess that isn't all that far fetched in the lost universe :)

[AshIsLostNLovinIt]

:DI love this theroy... You did a great job getting my vote.

[Jon]

Thanks Ash :)

[neolani]

I love that people have these awesome theories...this is a show that keeps you guessing. I was not interested in it until my daughter in law was watching on the internet, then I was hooked like crack!!
My daughter thinks that whidmore was on the black rock and everyone who has been on the island is desperately trying to get back.
I have too many thoughts to post here but all I can really do is to keep on watching in awe and hold my breath til the next show...I just hope that it ends well and not disappointing like so many other shoes.

[Jasonater]

Wow this thread is great. There is soo much to reply too.
1. I absoltley agree with the yin and yang. Because there is somthing to do with mirroir opposites. The Book by Lewis Carrol "Through the looking glass and what alice found there" is all about mirror opposites. Her two kittens the Black one(The bad one) and the white one(The good one) are the center of the story. The yin (White) and the yang (black). Remember she entered an alternate world through the mirror.
2. All three stories "Through the looking glass", "Alice's adventures in wonderland", and "Wizard of Oz" all has something to do with Sleeping(Dreaming). The writers said something about a major part of the story line has something to do with Austrilia, Someone posted some great stuff about the Austrilian aborginees and their belief of their Beliefs of "Dreamtime". Past present and future.
3. As far as Halucination go, I've never kicked any of my halicinations asses, but they certainly have kicked mine!

[Jon]

[QUOTE=Jasonater;45925]Wow this thread is great. There is soo much to reply too.
1. I absoltley agree with the yin and yang. Because there is somthing to do with mirroir opposites. The Book by Lewis Carrol "Through the looking glass and what alice found there" is all about mirror opposites. Her two kittens the Black one(The bad one) and the white one(The good one) are the center of the story. The yin (White) and the yang (black). Remember she entered an alternate world through the mirror.

Glad you like the thread. Totally agree with you about this; Also there is the biblical idea of Jacob and his twin brother Esau (Esau was covered from head to toe in hair... could hair symbolically represent smoke?).

The good and bad 'aspects' of the island (Jacob and Smokey) creates a kind of balance, or harmony.

3. As far as Halucination go, I've never kicked any of my halicinations asses, but they certainly have kicked mine!

:D:D:D

[BigBird5612]

Quick question jon about your theory on aging. Certain people on the island do not seem to age yet ben and his daughter aged normally how do you account for this?

[Jon]

Quick question jon about your theory on aging. Certain people on the island do not seem to age yet ben and his daughter aged normally how do you account for this?

I think it's probably an individual thing; ie, Richard has discovered for himself a way of holding back the aging process whereas others such as Ben, may have not.

Maybe there is a limit on what you can do (Mikhail, for example can heal rapidly but may not have advanced strength or reflexes. Richard may have been subconsciously keeping himself young, but might not be able to heal himself).

[BigBird5612]

makes sense thanks jon. Great theory by the way

[Jon]

Thanks BigBird :cool:

[badbrainz]

it is a very common belif amoung paranoramlists that ghost's are infact a memory inprinted on the world and can only be seen when certain energy wave are right.
i also think that the images are imprinted memories(ghosts) that jacob bends to his will

[McMason]

Maybe Hypnosis? I've seen people do things that they would never do, and think things are real, under hypnosis. Maybe the electromagnetism is making the survivors of the plane crash self hypnotize themselves to think everything is good.

[Lost Down Under]

I do really love this theory and alot of it makes sense. One question springs to mind immediately tho.....what about Desmond? I can't stop thinking about how he can "jump" from one time to another . I'm not sure how this ties in with your theory. Any thoughts?

[Jon]

I do really love this theory and alot of it makes sense. One question springs to mind immediately tho.....what about Desmond? I can't stop thinking about how he can "jump" from one time to another . I'm not sure how this ties in with your theory. Any thoughts?

Cheers, Lost down under. I think I can provide an explanation for the jumps in consciousness:

I watched a documentary a few years back about the scientific study of meditation. An advanced buddhist monk was hooked up to a machine that recorded the way his brain altered during peaks of meditation. They noticed that something changed quite drastically in his temporal lobes, which deal with perception of time and space. During these peaks, the monk said he felt a sensation of timelessness and being at one with everything.

Now, what if the electromagnetic exposure affected Desmond's temporal lobes and scrambled them? This might explain the jumps in space and time that he's experienced.

Quite fitting too, that Desmod was a monk himself. (Although of a different kind, but still a monk). Maybe the writer's of the show watched the same documentary as I did!

:o:o;)

[BigBird5612]

i saw that same doc interesting.............

[Lost Down Under]

Now, what if the electromagnetic exposure affected Desmond's temporal lobes and scrambled them? This might explain the jumps in space and time that he's experienced.



Coolio. So, does this mean that Desmond actually went back in time or was he just imagining it? I mean he must have physically gone back in time because we saw written in Farraday's journal about Desmond being his constant. And of course the whole phone number thing with Penny etc.

Soz for sounding thick, I'm just trying to get my head round it all.

Ta.

[Jon]

Coolio. So, does this mean that Desmond actually went back in time or was he just imagining it? I mean he must have physically gone back in time because we saw written in Farraday's journal about Desmond being his constant. And of course the whole phone number thing with Penny etc.

Soz for sounding thick, I'm just trying to get my head round it all.

Ta.

I think the best explanation I can give for this, is using an example someone else gave. I think it was a native American way of viewing time; that the past, the present and the future have already happened and our lives are like a crystal, with time like a ray of light catching each different part of that crystal and illuminating it.

I think Desmond's situation is similar. He was physically in the past, and physically in the future, but his future and past consciousness have been toyed with so he finds himself jumping to both. Sorry if that sounds a bit complicated, I know what I'm trying to say but am having trouble in elucidating it :)


********************************************


I posted this in the other thread, but decided that this would be a good place for it too.

MY THEORY; A SUMMARY


There is an island, and it's location is on a highly focused patch of natural electromagnetism. This electromagnetism can cause time-jumps in consciousness (if it interferes with the temporal lobes of the brain), is responsible for subconscious desires manifesting (hallucinations and coincidences) and can also be mastered like the 'chi' force in the chinese martial arts.

The electromagnetism is so dense it has become 'alive', in a similar way to the electricity in the human brain. Thus, the island has developed a form of consciousness. This consciousness has been known as Jacob and can only be seen/experienced by sensitive/open people.

The original natives of the island built a statue and a temple to honour Jacob, the 'mind' of the island. In the 18th century, a ship crashed on the island, breaking through the magnetic field. The inhabitants killed off some of the natives and decided to stay on the island.

The DHARMA initiative became aware of the island through Alvar Hanso. They moved there to study the islands properties, devoting various stations to particular areas of research.

The islands natives (the others) realised that DHARMA's research was potentially dangerous and if in the wrong hands, could lead to apocalyptic scenarios. The only choice they had was to purge the scientists to keep the secrets safe and to keep the island 'invisible' to the rest of the world. Many of the others have learnt to manipulate the island's magnetic properties in a similar way to how Chi is manipulated by martial artists, allowing them advanced strength, heightened senses, health, speed, reflexes, fighting skills and virtual invisibility.

The island (jacob) harbouring an almost paternal urge, selects a human (usually with parental problems of their own) to be it's 'prophet'. The previous prophets were Richard, Ben and now Locke. The past 'prophets' also act as advisors and confidants to the current one. The island, sensing that Jack is good at fixing things that are damaged, has created the manifestation of Christian Shepherd in order to try and lead him into a leadership role, but Jack's cynicism and rejection of the island, has lead the island to reject him (getting appendicits).

'Jacob' is also able to manifest as a black mist, or smoke, which is actually an electromagnetic cloud.

MY THOUGHTS ON ROOM 23 (from the 'room 23' thread in season 4 forum section)

I personally don't think the video is brain-washing. I think what it's doing is 're-conditioning' the 'lesser' others. In a sense, it's opening their minds as to the potential of the islands power, and breaking them free of societal conditioning.

For example, the subliminal message that mentions ''only fools are bound by time and space'', seems to me to be trying to gear them towards and understanding of time travel.

When these subliminal messages take effect and open their minds, the others are able to manipulate the island's powers like a 'chi force' (like Ben, Richard, Mikhail, Ethan, Juliet, Harper etc).

Maybe it's only the close-minded/cynical others that room 23 is used on. Maybe the one's who are inherently spiritual/gifted don't even need to subject themselves to the reconditiong.

Just my theory anyway. I think 'cult' style brainwashing isn't their style.

[Jarrah]

I love this, it's a very solid theory! Everything makes sense.

[chester]

Nice theory, I like it alot. There is actually a real-life phenomenon that is consistant with an 'island' having a consciousness, too.

That 'island' being our planet, and that phenomenon being the Schumann resonance (or cavity). This cavity exists between the Earth's ground and it's ionosphere, and it resonates at extremely low frequencies (ELFs), around 8, 15, 20, 30 and 35 Hz. Coincidentally(?), this is the same range of frequencies that the conscious brain exibits as brain-waves: alpha (relaxed/reflective) 9-14Hz; beta (active/alert) 15-40Hz; theta (drowsy) 5-8Hz. And like brain-waves are the result of electrical activity in the brain (event potentials), the Schumann resonances are a result of electrical activity in the atmoshpere (lightning).

One of Tesla's - the guy who discovered it, and showed that it could provide us with free energy - crazy ideas, was that this could be evidence that the earth was 'conscious'.

There is currently a search for other such cavities on other planets, all you need is a conductive layer (ionosphere) above the ground, and a source of energy. For Earth, this is the sun evaporating water which forms clouds that produce lightning.

(Sorry if this has already been posted. Just a newbie and haven't yet had a chance to go through every post.)

[Jon]

Thanks Jarrah and Chester, glad you like the theory!

Chester, that's really interesting... I'd heard of similar things before but only in passing. Thanks for posting that.

[Jon]

Thought this might be of interest...

One of the earliest, and most famous, discussions of the nature and experience of time occurs in the autobiographical Confessions of St Augustine. Augustine was born in Numidia (now Algeria) in 354 AD, held chairs in rhetoric at Carthage and Milan, and become Bishop of Hippo in 395. He died in 430. As a young adult, he had rejected Christianity, but was finally converted at the age of 32. Book XI of the Confessions contains a long and fascinating exploration of time, and its relation to God. During the course of it Augustine raises the following conundrum: when we say that an event or interval of time is short or long, what is it that is being described as of short or long duration? It cannot be what is past, since that has ceased to be, and what is non-existent cannot presently have any properties, such as being long. But neither can it be what is present, for the present has no duration. (For the reason why the present must be regarded as durationless, see the section on the specious present, below.) In any case, while an event is still going on, its duration cannot be assessed.

Augustine's answer to this riddle is that what we are measuring, when we measure the duration of an event or interval of time, is in the memory. From this he derives the radical conclusion that time itself (or, at least, the past and future) is something in the mind. While not following Augustine all the way to his theory of the subjectivity of time, we can concede that the perception of temporal duration is crucially bound up with memory. It is some feature of our memory of the event (and perhaps specifically our memory of the beginning and end of the event) that allows us to form a belief about its duration. This process need not be described, as Augustine describes it, as a matter of measuring something wholly in the mind. Arguably, at least, we are measuring the event or interval itself, a mind-independent item, but doing so by means of some psychological process.

[-XENOMORPHMELT-]

Can you explain how Sawyer also saw Kate's horse? If this is her own subconcious projecting these images on the island, how is it possible for someone else to see them. Also Sawyer saw and killed Locke's dad and Locke brought a body back to Ben. Whose body we don't know because we never got to see it but the question remains, how was Sawyer able to see him?

I too believe fate plays a huge role in all of this. As far as The Wizard of Oz references, this has been going on since the show started. The writers are big on giving props to their favorite writings, movies etc... on this show.

If the island/Jacob is the peaceful side then why did it shake the cabin and throw Ben against a wall making both Ben and Locke run for their lives?

Just some questions I had.

Unless lockes dad is part of sawyers project to.
Also the man in the coffin could be... Richard Alpert to ignore the retarded spoilers for a second, Jack did go to it for help.. And when Richard visited Locke he picked the knife someone in a different thread said it meant death, Richard could know this meant his own dead, And the war between Keemy and the Others for the finale could possilby the end for Richard.

[Strongflour9]

Hi all...another noob here.

My question is this: If the island allows people to summon up their subconscious thoughts or feelings, then why isn't it a constant barrage of people standing around dumbfounded??

Also, Jon, you said that with Walt being a child, he might have a heightened ability to project some things. Do you think that maybe some of the yet unexplained things (Claire has not been mentioned yet) could be the result of Aaron's subconscious??

[Jon]

Hi all...another noob here.

My question is this: If the island allows people to summon up their subconscious thoughts or feelings, then why isn't it a constant barrage of people standing around dumbfounded??



Hiya... I think the answer to that question is that there are a minority of the Losties who unintentionally manifest memories/thoughts. I don't think they realise they are doing it, or even how to do it.

Perhaps some of the others know; come to think of it, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it turns out that the smoke monster is part of Ben's dark subconscious that manifested and became unleashed, and he has the power to 'summon' it for help.

As far as the losties go, I think many of them possibly block out the manifestations, or lack the fertile subconscious will that actually manifests them.

Hurley suffered from Schizophrenia, and the manifestations seem to occur far more with him, than someone like Sayid for example.

Christian Shephard is tied in with so many characters (Jack, Aaron, Claire, Ana Lucia, Sawyer) that he manifests far more than say, Dave would because his presence is lingering in so many unconscious minds and memories. I think it's only potent things that manifest, unless you are special like Walt or have a mental condition like Hurley that allows it to flourish.

Also, Jon, you said that with Walt being a child, he might have a heightened ability to project some things. Do you think that maybe some of the yet unexplained things (Claire has not been mentioned yet) could be the result of Aaron's subconscious??

I'm leaning towards the idea that Claire is actually dead, but Aaron is helping keep her alive, or in some kind of 'limbo-state' because he is too young to know she is dead and relies on her so much (as any child does with their mother).