The Horseshoe Nail Proverb

For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For want of a horse the battle was lost,
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost--
All for the want of a horseshoe nail.
                                                     ---anonymous
                                       

The Numbers and Predestination vs Free will  

It seems like there has been some interest in this area, so I decided to give it a try. This is a tough one to take on, and what is written here is likely just the beginnings of a more sound theory that may come down the road. Perhaps ideas can be generated from this.

The simplest approach I could think of was to break it into questions with categorical answers, and to try to answer those questions in sequential order, thereby trying to arrive at some sort of conclusion. I probably did not choose the most ideal questions, and others should feel free to add those as they see fit.

1^st question: Was the appearance of the numbers coincidence/chance or driving force?

Choice: Coincidence or driving force

My Choice: Driving force

Reason 1: mainly due to the sheer volume of appearances

Reason 2: the tie-in of the (non-canonical) Valenzetti equation

Discussion: In my opinion, the main number of appearances of the numbers is far too great to be considered a coincidence. And if it is not a coincidence, that means there must be a driving force behind it. In addition, the Valenzetti equation lends a certain criticality to the numbers by stating that they represent the solution to the equation for the end of humanity. This clue leads me to believe that the numbers are linked to a greater cause in regards to humanity.

2^nd question: if driving force is chosen in question #1, what is the purpose of the numbers and did they have an impact on the characters?

Choices:

-         Non-impact: Informational only

-         Impact: Course correction predestination-based

-         Impact: Course correction time travel determinism-based

The meaning behind each of these choices is the following:

-         Informational only: the appearance of the numbers is not random or coincidence, but their existence has no bearing on the characters; the numbers are there for a reason, and that reason may provoke the curiosity of the characters but it does not influence their decisions and/or actions. 

-         Course correction: the appearance of the numbers is not random or coincidence, and their existence has a bearing on the characters; the numbers are there for a reason, and that reason provides enlightenment, influences the characters, and/or in some way impacts their decisions and actions.

o   Predestination-based: the course correction is due to the existence of Fate or Destiny – the end-game is established ahead of time, and all points must lead in that direction

o   Time travel determinism based: in the theory of consistent histories or whatever happened, happened, if an individual travels back in time, he/she must perform actions that lead to results that already exist in the future (see my theory “Sundial Park” for more detail)

My choice: Course correction predestination-based

Discussion: Here’s where it really begins to get tricky.

(1) I disregard the first option because in my opinion the numbers did have an impact on the characters. For example, they were the winning lottery numbers for Hurley, which played a role in his future. Also, the numbers appeared enough times to enough characters that certain individuals (such as Locke and eventually Desmond) believed that they were on the island for a reason – that the evidence was too much in favor of a design than simply chance. Because the characters took on these views, it influenced their actions and decisions.

(2) I disregard the time travel determinism because the numbers do not seem linked to the characters when they went back to Dharma. For example, the Valenzetti equation, which was discovered during the Cold War in the 60s, is pre-time travel (as far as we know based on the one time travel incident we are aware of). There is also no evidence of a link of the character traveling back in time, initiating the numbers, and then going back to the future, thereby creating a determinism factor.

(3) This leaves a predestination-based course correction. But what does that really mean? If everything is fated to occur, what would one need course correction for? That would imply free will, and then a need to ‘course correct’ or aim free will in a certain direction.

And this is where I am going.

Predestination-based course correction (more detail):

In order for predestination-based course correction to even exist, we have to accept the existence of a duality: that free will and predestination can co-exist. Is this possible?

Milton’s Paradise Lost was referenced several times during Lost. It is well known for its references to The Garden of Eden (which I still believe is the island is btw) and the Fall of Man. Another thing it is well known for is its discussion and outlook on free will vs. predestination.

Milton’s take on it is this: humanity has free will, but God is all-knowing at all points in time. So, from an individual’s POV, he or she has the freedom to choose his or her path in life = free will. From God’s POV, who lives outside of time, the “book” of humanity is already written. Every choice already exists, every outcome already exists. Not that God is making the choices, however – but from God’s POV, it’s said and done.

From an excerpt discussing Milton’s Paradise Lost:

Moreover, God declares that humans cannot "justly accuse / Their Maker, or their making, or their fate, / As if predestination overruled / Their will" (iii.112-115) because if predestination could overrule a human's fate, free will would not exist. God knew that creating puppets on strings would be pointless and free will is necessary for humanity to properly operate. God reaffirms, "Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault" (iii.118), meaning that he knew Adam and Eve would fall from grace, but his knowledge did not affect their decision.

As an example, take the series of Lost. If you owned the DVDs to the entire series, you could put them in and watch them at any point you wished. This can be viewed as similar (for example’s sake) to how God would watch humanity’s existence. He can see all points at all times. They don’t have to be in linear order. He can see how humanity ends, how it begins, what choices were made along the way, etc.

As the viewer of the Lost series, you can view Lost in the same fashion, but you are just that – an observer – you cannot make the characters’ choices for them. That is how Milton viewed God’s role as well: designer of time and space, but then observer of the free will of man. Because God lives outside the dimension of time and is not bound by it like humanity is, he knows all points in a non-linear fashion, and therefore, at any one point (other than the end), it is pre-destined. It would be like you as a watcher tuning in to Season 4, and then the end of the Series. Everything in-between is driven by free will of the characters, yet is also predestined from your POV because you know, as a whole, how it will end.

So how do the Numbers fit in?

If the Numbers are truly an indicator of a major milestone in humanity that is pre-destined to occur, whether it be the destruction of humanity, or the possibility of destruction, or what-have-you, then one can argue that the numbers are a natural phenomenon (like gravity so to speak) that act as course correctors to ensure that the end that is pre-destined comes to pass.

What this means to me is that the numbers appear to our Losties because they play such a significant role in humanity’s fate (based on the Valenzetti equation and several remarks regarding how the release of “evil incarnate” will bring about the end of humanity, or as Widmore puts it, “everything you care about will cease to exist”).

In other words, their decisions and actions have such a large impact on how humanity ends up (they are significant variables in the Valenzetti equation) that they are in fact exposed to bits and pieces of fate and determinism, they are “course corrected”, and one of these natural factors is the numbers – and, to clarify, it is not God course correcting, but the space-time system that exists as a singularity, the reality that from a certain vantage point (where time is not linear), the beginning and the end were formed at the same time, and thus, pre-destined.

To get into the weeds a little bit more: a normal individual whose day-to-day decision making will have ‘relatively’ no impact on the fate of humanity would have no reason to be significantly course corrected towards a pre-destined ending for humanity; but an individual whose sole decision-making may cause the ending of humanity (i.e. being a large factor vs a small factor in the Valenzetti equation) would certainly be influenced by fate if that free will decision-making was in contrast to the pre-destined ending of humanity.

So – to attempt to summarize this in a fashion that makes at least a little bit of sense:

1. Based on Milton’s Paradise Lost, we have free will but live within a pre-determined destiny (overall)
2. Decisions and decision makers that can effect the end of the story directly (due to their significance in the equation of humanity’s destiny) will be course corrected in the direction of the pre-determined destiny even though they do indeed have free will; whereas an individual with relatively no impact on the pre-destined ending will have no reason to be exposed to course correction (this individual’s action only adjust the result within the uncertainty of the measurement).
3. The numbers are an example of nature’s course correction device, and this is based on the Valenzetti equation which related them to the fate of humanity, and also on the many appearances where they had a direct impact on the characters, many of whom made crucial decisions leading to the continued existence of humanity

Well – I hope that made sense. And I am sure there are plenty of holes in the theory, but worse-case perhaps it’s a starting point for some discussion and debate. I would have liked to add more hard examples (such as the Milton’s Paradise Lost) and less speculation; perhaps there is more out there that can be brought up.

Thanks for reading.

 

The Symphony of Lost

It is indeed fitting that many of our favorite characters in the Alternate reality will be coming together at a concert in the series finale (per Desmond’s statement). We know that Jack will be there with his son and Claire; and Desmond with Kate, Hurley, and Sayid. I am sure Faraday will be performing, as will Charlie and his band (despite his reluctance). I also expect to see Locke, Jin, Sun, and Sawyer, though by what course corrective force I do not know. 

The idea of viewing Lost as a symphony or composition of musical themes is a good way to put it into perspective. One simple definition of a symphony is: a harmonious combination of elements –individual components that are brought together to create music.

What if we think of the Lost characters as the elements of a symphony? As the instruments, the themes, the notes. Each is unique, but together they create the melodies and harmonies of the masterpiece. Without even one of those elements – one instrument, one melody – the symphony would not be the same – indeed, the symphony would probably not exist at all. And if we think of the characters as those elements within the great symphony of Lost – what would it be without Boone, Walt, Aaron, Juliet, Locke, Jack, Kate…?

Each element, each instrument, plays a different role, and that role is of varying significance from one to the next, but without each element, without each instrument, the melody, the harmony, and ultimately the masterpiece itself cannot be complete. The symphony or the story – the tale of Lost – could simply not be. And that is truly what Lost means to me.

Along those lines, a few quick thoughts on the concert in the finale:

Specifically speaking, Fantaisie-Impromptu is the piano piece that Faraday has been heard playing on a few occasions (once as a child in the original timeline, and then as an adult in the ALT). Though I cannot know this for certain, I believe it is possible (perhaps even likely) that this will be the piece that Faraday performs at the concert (possibly in conjunction with Drive Shaft).

What interests me about this piece and the concert in general is the following:

Fantaisie-Impromptu, by Chopin, is a wonderful piece that is famous for its cross-rhythm. (Cross-rhythm is a rhythm in which the regular pattern of accents of the prevailing meter is contradicted by a conflicting pattern; the meter of the piece is in a permanent state of contradiction). In Fantaisie-Impromptu, Chopin uses many cross-rhythms (the right hand plays sixteenth notes against the left hand playing triplets)

Another way to view cross-rhythm is as a duality in music – two states existing in one, creating the piece as a whole. In terms of Lost, it is quite fitting – one final duality….

Since it is possible that all of the ALT characters will be present at the concert, it seems likely to me that this place and this moment will be crucial to the finale, and certainly to Desmond’s plan – his drive to ‘expose’ the truth of their existence in the ALT, to make them all aware of the original timeline reality and of their lives and purposes there; and, of course, of their purposes in the alternate reality.

And it seems only fitting that Daniel Faraday will be playing a critical role.

Faraday, the man behind the idea of the H-bomb – the man with the brain power to be a world class physicist and a famous classical musician. The man who ‘ignited’ the ALT by exploding the bomb – the energy of which sank the island and sparked the alternate reality (because the island could not sink in the original timeline due to consistent histories, and the energy had to go somewhere, thus the Alternate or Consciousness Reality).

Is it possible that Faraday that will now do the ‘mirror-image’ of what was done with the H-bomb? Will he open the consciousness portal of the true reality to the ALT Losties through the final duality in Lost, the musical masterpiece of the Fantaisie-Impromptu? First, he did it as a physicist. Now, will he do it as a musician?

If the ALT is truly a consciousness reality, Desmond (and now Hurley, and perhaps even Ben) have ‘awoken’ as one does in a Lucid Dream.

Wiki: A lucid dream is a dream in which the sleeper is aware that he or she is dreaming. When the dreamer is lucid, he or she can actively participate in and often manipulate the imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can seem extremely real and vivid depending on a person's level of self-awareness during the lucid dream.

(by the way - I do not think the ALT is simply a dream, but along the lines of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, I do believe it is a real existence but one of consciousness).

Perhaps what Desmond needs to happen for everyone is for them to become self-aware – to become in tune with both realities. It is the only way he can convince them then to do whatever it is they must do to stop the Smoke Monster….

From a statement on Lucid Dreaming:

o          There are endless amounts of methods and techniques used to induce lucid dreams. While there are many pills and other one-step methods claiming to instantly induce them, it is widely believed that no technique works better than music.

It may not be the music itself, but I believe it will play a role in whatever critical event occurs at the concert... though, of course, I have no way of knowing, and, admittedly, my theories are never quite as accurate as I like…

In any case – I am looking forward to the finale and the forthcoming answers to many of our questions! (not answers to all - but to many)

I hope to write again after the finale, but this will most likely be my last theory before the series end (unless I have a sudden brainstorm very soon), so thanks to all who have taken the time to read and comment on my theories, and thanks even more for posting such great theories of your own, some of which amazed me with the insight, and from which I was able to build my own ideas and thoughts…..        

 

 

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Theory Also Called: Where there’s Smoke Monster, there’s fire (and brimstone)

Per usual, this is just a loose compilation of religious/philosophical threads that have been woven together to try to put some sense to the mystery that is Lost…..

Points of interest in this theory:

-         Light in the cave

-         Water and Fire (and brimstone)

-         Smoke and Ashes

Light:

Does the Light = Divine Light?

In theology, light or divine light is a term used to refer to an aspect of divine presence, specifically an unknown and mysterious ability of God, angels, or human beings to express themselves communicatively through spiritual means, rather than through physical capacities.

Divine presence, presence of God, or simply presence is a concept in religion, spirituality, and theology that deals with the omnipotent ability of a god and/or gods to be "present" in human beings.

Remember mother’s statements:  

-         The light in the cave was described by “mother” as: “life, death, and rebirth” and “the source”.

-         She says that the reason why they (her and the brothers) are on the island is to protect the light. She tells them that if the light goes out on the Island it goes out everywhere. When she is gone, she says that one of them will have to protect it

From the New Testament, namely John 1:9: "That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Indicates that every person is born with the Light within him or her.

So – each of us has the presence of God within us, the ‘source’ of Life.

And, evidently, it also exists independently, in this ‘realm’ that is the Island.

Another statement from Mother:

-         “everyone has a little of the light in them but they always want more”

Want more what? Of the “source”, of the “divine light”. To become closer to Immortality. To become something beyond the limitations of what humanity is now. To defeat the Valenzetti equation. To get back what was Lost (Immortality) when Adam and Eve bit the apple (before Adam and Eve bit the apple, they were immortal beings).

(btw I believe the island is the lost Garden of Eden per Milton’s Paradise Lost. I also wonder if “Mother” is Eve – the real Eve. And the Light – well, it makes sense to me that it would exist in the place where Man and Woman first existed).

Water and Fire (and brimstone) – another duality in Lost

Water: life, rebirth (Nemesis/Smoke Monster does not like it)

Fire: death (Smoke Monster seems connected to fire).

In the Bible, fire seems (and can have) an ‘evil’ connotation:

Fire and brimstone (or, alternately, brimstone and fire, translated from the Hebrew) are signs of God's wrath in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament. In the Bible, they often appear in reference to the fate of the unfaithful.

Fire and brimstone frequently appear as agents of divine wrath throughout the Book of Revelation culminating in chapters 19–21, wherein the devil and the ungodly are cast into a lake of fire and brimstone as an eternal punishment:

Whereas water can have a ‘good’ or ‘salvation’ connotation:

Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament."[16]

Accordingly, a person who knowingly, willfully and unrepentantly rejects baptism has no hope of salvation.

This teaching is based on Jesus' words in the Gospel according to John: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God."[Jn 3:5]

Repeat: Unless one if born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

Interesting. The spirit is the light. But water is also needed – the water of the religion, the ‘holy water’.

Smoke and Ashes

The Smoke Monster is, well, Smoke. Is it a coincidence that fire and water play a fundamental role in Lost, and the Smoke Monster is, well, Smoke?

I think it is connected.

Divine Light may be “Good” at its purest, but when exposed to the flaws of humanity, all Hell breaks loose (literally).

Recall the Fall of Man: after the apple was bitten, immortal Adam and Eve became human and were thrust from the Garden – so they could not despoil the Divine Light?

So – when a flawed human (Jacob’s brother, who has ‘evil’ and ‘good’ within him), touches the source – a reaction. A reaction of fire and water and spirit.

Fire + water + The Source = SMOKE. A tormented, “smoke” soul – Evil Incarnate.

Finally, as a quick add-on – I believe the ashes are also linked to this. The smoke monster cannot pass the ashes. What are they?

I would liken them to ashes in the religious sense – ashes that are perhaps blessed or treated with holy water, much like ashes used for Ash Wednesday:

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of repentance. The ashes used are typically gathered after the Palm Crosses from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned. In the liturgical practice of some churches, the ashes are mixed with the Oil of the Catechumens[1] (one of the sacred oils used to anoint those about to be baptized), though some churches use ordinary oil….

The ash, baptized, creates a barrier or sorts….

So – some thoughts to ponder….. all of this, who knows if any of it is right, AND it doesn’t account for the science aspect of everything (such as – the Source has magnetic properties, properties that have opened a Jacob’s Ladder to the spirit world, properties that have allowed the creation of an ALT or, perhaps, the Island itself it the ALT or consciousness…..).

Will be interesting to see what is answered. And what is not!

Thanks for reading.

 

The Dream of the Red King

Through the Looking Glass:

The ALT has always seemed like a mirror-image, a duality to the current reality, a “consciousness reality”, a “Through The Looking Glass” reality.

Lewis Carroll is referenced countless times in Lost (white rabbits, the Looking Glass station, etc. – check Lostpedia for more) – so I believe the concept of “Through the Looking Glass” is key to the final moments in Lost.

Mirrors have played a role of late: the Lighthouse is a good example. And more recently, the Music Box.

When Claire opens the Music Box, we hear the song that has represented both Aaron and The Smoke Monster at various times. We see Claire’s reflection in a mirror. If we think about “Through the Looking Glass”, are we seeing:

- the reflection of Claire, who is the mother of Aaron, but hearing the music representing the Smoke Monster – in the ALT, is Aaron the vessel that the Smoke Monster will enter the ALT through, thereby causing space/time devastation? Aaron, born on the island, perhaps marked by the Divine Light, a soul that the Smoke Monster can use once the ‘game is won’.

The Dream of the Red King:

A final thought relevant to “Through the Looking Glass”

(Wikipedia): The Red King is a character who appears in Lewis Carroll's fantasy story Through the Looking-Glass….when Alice first meets him he is fast asleep ("fit to snore his head off", as Tweedledum says). During this time, Tweedledum and Tweedledee state that if she (Alice) is part of the Red King's dream, as they suspect, then she will "go out—bang!—like a candle" when he wakes….

The match ends by Alice's checkmating of the king, an action coincident with the taking of the Red Queen.

Alice immediately wakes up, no longer in the realm of Through the Looking Glass. Alice acknowledges that the Red King had, after all, been asleep throughout the whole game, and is left wondering whether the whole experience was her dream, or his.

So – not to say it’s all a dream – but if we use this as a clue, the reality ‘disappears’ when the game is up….

Meaning that when the revelation occurs, one of the realities ‘ceases to be’ for the observer, leaving only one.

 

Religous Theory (Lost)

Religion in Lost: Jacob, Nemi, Aaron and the Garden of Eden

First off, let’s take a look at Milton’s “Paradise Lost” (recall Penny’s last name in the episode with Desmond was Milton).

From Wikipedia:

Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse. A second edition followed in 1674, redivided into twelve books (in the manner of the division of Virgil's Aeneid) with minor revisions throughout and a note on the versification; the majority of the poem was written while Milton was blind, and was transcribed for him.

The poem concerns the Christian story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton's purpose, stated in Book I, is to "justify the ways of God to men"[2] and elucidate the conflict between God's eternal foresight and free will.

Milton incorporates Paganism, classical Greek references, and Christianity within the poem. It deals with diverse topics from marriage, politics (Milton was politically active during the time of the English Civil War), and monarchy, and grapples with many difficult theological issues, including fate, predestination, the Trinity, and the introduction of sin and death into the world, as well as angels, fallen angels, Satan, and the war in heaven. Milton draws on his knowledge of languages, and diverse sources — primarily Genesis, much of the New Testament, the deuterocanonical Book of Enoch, and other parts of the Old Testament. This epic is generally considered one of the greatest works in the English language.

So – this sounds like it fits pretty well with the religious themes in Lost. Even before I related Milton’s poem to Lost, I had an inkling that what is going on in Lost is a mirror-image or second pass at what occurred in the Garden of Eden. Now, with this additional clue, I am leaning even more in that direction.

Briefly, here are some of my thoughts:

The island, or “this God Forsaken rock” as Nemi/Locke stated in a recent episode, is the actual Garden of Eden. After the Fall of Man (which is when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God), the Garden was deserted. The Bible does not state what happened to the Garden except that an angel was left to guard it. I’m theorizing that the Garden became the island, and remained a connection to the spiritual world.

The word 'Eden' means: spot, moment, presence, open door.

So, the Garden of Eden was the spot for the moment where the presence of God provided an open door to heaven. It’s where heaven met earth.

As we know, there is a spiritual world connected to the island. Jacob is named for Jacob’s ladder, which is another clue to this connection. Jacob’s ladder was another connection between heaven and earth.

So, a few questions to ask first:

Who/what is Jacob?
Who/what is Nemi?
The island and Garden of Eden
The candidates’ role
Aaron’s role
Widmore’s role
Spirits

Jacob:

I believe Jacob is a couple of things wrapped into one. For starters, I believe Jacob was once a man. In fact, I believe there is a possibility that he was “Abel”, the shepherd who was killed by his brother in the first murder of mankind.

As a spirit, I believe Abel/Jacob became the guardian of the underworld/heaven, i.e. he became Anubis.

Anubis: He watches over the mummification process to ensure that all is done properly. He conducts the souls through the underworld, testing their knowledge of the gods and their faith. He places their heart on the Scales of Justice during the Judging of the Heart, and he feeds the souls of wicked people to Ammit.

In the case of Lost, I believe Jacob/Anubis acts as a judge that does not allow the spirits of those who have chosen evil to move on into the afterlife. This is evident by Michael’s spirit, who is basically trapped on the island due to his actions, along with the other “trapped” spirits that are heard on the island as whispers.

Nemi falls into this category as well.

Nemi:

I believe Nemi may once have been “Cain”, and committed the first murder. He was once a man, as he stated to Sawyer.

By choosing evil, Cain brought evil into his soul. It is almost as if he became “infected” himself, and in way became a vessel of Satan.

I also believe that Nemi represents Satan, though not sure how this fits in with him once being Cain as well.

Nemi leads the Losties towards a “better reality” – the same way Satan did so with Adam and Even and the apple – he promises them the one thing they want most, and in return, they “take a bite of the apple”.

So what this means to me is that the island represents the Garden of Eden, and the “candidates” are representative of Adam and Eve, who were the “candidates” of humanity.

Nemi also has the form of the smoke monster, which is very similar to a serpent, which was the form that Satan took in the Garden of Eden.

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made" (Genesis 3:1).

"The great dragon was hurled down -- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray..."

This verse lends support to the view that of the serpent being Satan himself, which helps to explain, as well, why Eve was not surprised to be spoken to by the serpent—it was not a talking snake, but a beautiful and intelligent (yet evil) angelic being.

The island and Garden of Eden

There have been some interesting clues to the Garden of Eden in Lost :

- After discovering their disobedience, God banished the couple from the garden in order to deny them access to the Tree of Life which would give them immortality.
There have been a couple times in the series that a very large tree (Tree of Life?) has been shown. I definitely recalled it in Richard’s episode (Ab Aeterno). It is where Richard buries his wife’s cross, and then digs it back up. The tree seems very symbolic in that scene. In addition, the Tree of Life is linked to immortality, so the fact that Richard (who does not age) buries his cross at this tree is also symbolic. 

- From Milton’s Paradise (I stole this from a website when I searched for Milton’s Paradise and the Garden of Eden):

An angel approaches Adam after his fall from grace and describes the future of mankind. In his description of the great floods (from the Noah and the Ark tale) he describes what will happen to the Garden of Eden and says:

then shall this Mount Of Paradise by might of Waves be moovd Out of his place, pushd by the horned floud, With all his verdure spoil'd, and Trees adrift Down the great River to the op'ning Gulf, And there take root an Island salt and bare, The haunt of Seales and Orcs, and Sea-mews clang, To teach thee that God attributes to place No sanctitie, if none be thither brought By Men who there frequent, or therein dwell." John Milton Paradise Lost (bk. XI, 1. 829-838).

Basically, in Milton’s Paradise, an angel tells Adam that the Garden of Eden will become an island.

There are other clues, like the skeletons that are called “Adam and Eve” (though I believe that will turn out to be Bernard and Rose, calling them “Adam and Eve” is another hint).

And there are probably other hints out there that I have missed.

The candidates’ role

The candidates role may be more scientific than religious – not sure at this point. Nemi wants the candidates to go with him, and this could be for one of two reasons that I can think of:

1. He takes them with him off the island to ensure that they cannot fulfill the role of taking Jacob’s place.
2. He takes them with him because they act as a time constant so that he can actually leave the island when he flies off – the same idea as when they needed to have everyone on the Ajira Flight – perhaps because without them as “time constants”, they would not have flashed to the 1970’s/Dharma Initiative like they did.

In general from a religious perspective though, I believe the role of the candidates is similar to the role that existed for Adam and Eve. They are left with choices that may impact the fate of humanity.  

Each of them has special abilities and places a special role, but in the end, their choices (good or evil) and actions will lead to a result that will either be the same as Adam and Eve’s (humanity fails), or the opposite (humanity succeeds).

Aaron’s role

I believe Aaron is the sixth candidate. He is the one that will replace Jacob. He is still innocent, so perhaps it makes sense that he would replace Jacob.

Along these lines, I think Aaron is the boy that has been pestering Nemi lately. So what is special about Aaron and leads me to these thoughts?

- He was meant to be on the original flight
- He was born on the island
- In the episode ‘Abandoned’, when Locke was handling Aaron for Claire, Charlie got dreams about the need to baptize Aaron. Was this some kind of foresight sent to Charlie by the island? Charlie goes to great lengths to baptize Aaron, even starting a fire to distract everyone. Why baptize Aaron?

Wikipedia: The purpose of baptism is as a means of repelling evil.
Even though Charlie fails, Aaron and Claire eventually get baptized by Eko (recall Jacob’s relationship to water; and recall Richard’s ‘baptism’ by Jacob).
- Claire abandons Aaron when Christian Shepherd comes up to her after the house explosion. Is this the “spirit” Christian, or MIB/Nemesis guised as Christian? I believe it was the “spirit” Christian, protecting Aaron from Claire, who had “died” in the explosion but come back to life and was now potentially “infected”. If Claire is not infected, why else would Nemesis keep her around?
- When Kate is off the island, Claire comes to her in visions, saying not to bring Aaron back to the island. Why? My guess is because it is not the right time or the right way, and protects him from Nemesis. It’s possible Aaron will find his own way to the island, just as he seems to be doing now with these ‘visits’ that anger Nemesis.

Somehow, I believe Aaron will be looped back in the final episodes, and will be Jacob’s replacement. One additional thought is – if Aaron takes this role as a young boy (until he matures), perhaps Kate will become his guardian. Her role has been minimized to date, but I foresee that she will still have an important role in the end.

Widmore’s role

At this point, Widmore’s role is cloudy. He seems to understand the scientific aspect of things, and is partnered (so it seems) with Ms Hawking, who may know even more than he does. But what is his role?

My only thought on this in relation to the religious aspect of things is that he somehow knows that this is the Garden of Eden, and that what they are up against is possibly Satan himself.

He realizes that he needs to use Desmond’s abilities to ultimately stop Nemi, and this has something to do with the alternate reality.

But there may be something deeper here as well. The Valenzetti equation foretells the end of mankind. Before Adam and Eve bit the apple, mankind was immortal (per The Tree of Life). After they bit the apple, immortality was taken away from them, and (I’m theorizing) the countdown on mankind’s existence began. This countdown is characterized by the Valenzetti equation. Due to the fact that Widmore seems to have ties to Dharma and other behind-the-scenes organizations, he may be also trying to “reverse” what Adam and Eve did – i.e., fins a way to change the Valenzetti equation, find a way to extend humanity’s life.

Spirits

A final thought about the spirits based on the revelation from Michael. There seem to be four “types” of spirits:

1. Visiting spirits. These can appear as spirits or as animals. Examples are:

- the butterfly in Ab Aeterno, which was probably Richard’s wife.

- Richard’s wife when Hurley tells Richard she is there (at the Tree of Life)

- the boar that attacks Sawyer, who is the spirit of the man he killed that he thought was the real ‘Sawyer’

- the horse that Kate encounters on the island that seems to be the spirit of her father

2. Trapped spirits: These appear when the whispers ensure, like Michael did to Hurley. These are spirits of individuals that made more ‘evil’ choices than good, i.e. when Annubis/Jacob weighed their ‘heart’ on a scale, it had more evil than good. They are likely trapped here by Jacob, a sort of purgatory existence.

3. Nemesis transforming: spirits that are really Nemesis taking their form. I believe he did this with Richard’s wife in the Black Rock. He has also done with Christian Shepherd on numerous occasions (though Christian has also appeared as a ‘Visiting Spirit’) and others.

4. Visionary spirits: This would include Walt and Aaron (if I am right that the boy is Aaron). These are visions of people that have special powers in relation to the island, and their form can appear on the island even when they alive and off island, like Walt appeared to Locke after Locke had been shot.

So – this is a long theory, and not a theory of everything per se, but a look at religion how may play into the Lost world.

In conjunction with a recent post of mine (Hawking’s Imaginary Journey) I’ve tried to capture both some of the scientific and religious elements of the show. But even with this (some of which may be right, some wrong), I still have no idea how it will all play out…!!

Thanks for reading.

Hawking's Imaginary Journey

I believe what makes Eloise Hawking and Desmond special is that they can see in “imaginary time”.

 

Imaginary time is a concept created by Stephen Hawking. It is a measurement system, and is not “imaginary” in the sense of the world of Alice in Wonderland is imaginary; it is imaginary in the sense of imaginary numbers, such as the square root of -4 is 2i.

In this way, it is actually a mathematical model used to represent the universe. From Stephen Hawking’s book “A Brief History in Time”:

“That is to say, for the purposes of the calculation one must measure time using imaginary numbers, rather than real ones. This has an interesting effect on space-time: the distinction between time and space disappears completely.”

Let’s take a look at the Big Bang in Imaginary Time:

According to Stephen Hawking's theory, the Big Bang singularity - like all singularities - is only a singularity in ordinary time. In imaginary time, it is simply a point analogous to the north pole on the Earth. Although ordinary time begins with the Big Bang, it cannot be truly said that the north pole "begins" the Earth's surface, so imaginary time has no beginning or end. Therefore, when rephrased in imaginary time, the beginning and end of ordinary time are no more special, unique, or problematic than any other point in time. The dual-time theory clears up the singularity of the Big Bang by restating it in higher dimensions, now of time instead of space. See the Figure of the Globe below. The top of the globe could be considered the “Big Bang” in imaginary time.

Minkowski Space Time also utilized imaginary time (recall Minkowski was the limo driver for Desmond, and was also on Widmore’s boat that came to the island with the soldiers). See the Figure below:

I’ve overlaid an “Event light cone” to try to clarify my thoughts on this diagram as best I can. The event is an occurrence or an observer at the specific moment in the present.

The ‘Light Cone Past’ is all of the subsequent events that had to occur for the present event to occur. The ‘Light Cone Future’ is all of the possible events that could occur from the current event. What WILL/DOES occur would look like a sort of wiggly line running up along the time cone. This is called a WORLD LINE.

 

Another figure representing light cones is below.

So what does this mean for Eloise Hawking and Desmond?

Unlike normal people, I believe they can travel in their minds through imaginary time. That means, if you look at the Figures above, that they can move through time as if it were space. In other words, they can travel to the past and into the potential futures in their mind.

Remember, imaginary time is analogous to space, so one with the ability to do so can move forward, backward, etc. through time just as we can through 2-dimensional space.

I think this ability is how Eloise gets her information and seems to know so much. She can see the potential futures because of her ability (the futures in the future time cone), and tries to guide events in the direction that will lead to the WORLD LINE future (the actual future) that she hopes to accomplish.

I believe the same thing has happened recently with Desmond. He has “seen” the potential futures, and is trying to guide events to lead to the future he desires (saving humanity?).

Much like Desmond was woken up to this ability by turning the key in the hatch, Eloise must have been woken up to it as well. Perhaps it was when she touched Daniel Faraday, who she had just shot, and who was a time traveler. Like we are seeing with the Losties in the alternate reality, coming in contact with individuals is waking them up to their lives in the current reality. Perhaps for Ms Hawking, when she shot Daniel, and then touched him, she had the ‘flashes’ in her mind that ‘turned on’ her power to travel in imaginary time.

But what about the alternate reality? How does this fit in?

According to Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History in Time”, there are two possible resolutions to the paradox of time travel:

1. The consistent histories approach
2. The alternative histories hypothesis

What is interesting is that we have seen #1 and a variation of #2 occur in Lost! Let me explain as briefly as possible (for those of you that are still interested):

The consistent histories approach basically states that you could not go back in time unless history showed that you had already arrived in the past and not committed any acts that would conflict with your current situation in the present.

This is exactly what has occurred to the Losties in the current reality. They went back in time to the Dharma Initiative, they exploded the bomb, all of that happened – and there is evidence that is all happened when they first arrived on the island. For example, if the Jack et al had got onto the island and gone straight to the Other’s houses (which were once Dharma houses) and found the picture of them in the 1970s dressed up in Dharma suits, that would have verified the consistent histories approach. They were going to go back in time, and the present they were in proved that. “What Happened, Happened.”

Now, throw in the event of the H-bomb. Aside from the current reality “What Happened, Happened”, the alternate reality exists. This is in line with #2, “the alternative histories hypothesis”, but not in total agreement.

The alternative histories hypothesis states that when time travelers go back into the past, they enter alternative histories which differ from recorded history. This DOES NOT HAPPEN in Lost, because as we know, the history they entered was consistent with the present from which they came.

However, when they set of the H-bomb, they “opened the door” to a new reality – a reality that contained both a different past light cone and different future light cone from the standpoint of the present. What I mean is that if you look at Jack’s life in the current reality, including his past and future light cones, it is different from that in the alternate reality. The two Jack’s share a similar past light cone, but they are not the same. Ben is another example of this. He leaves the island with his father in the alternate reality, which would be considered his “past” from our present point of view. So his past and future time cones are different from the “present” vantage point.

This leads into the “many worlds” theory, which is basically that there are countless alternate universe in existence, each based on all the possibilities that exist throughout time.

I do not think this is what is going on in Lost, though. I think instead that there are “potential” realities, meaning that the “probability” of their existence exists, but when the rubber meets the road, in the eye of the observer only one existence truly exists.

Take Schrödinger's cat for example, which is a thought experiment that tries to cast doubt on quantum superposition.

From Wikipedia: Broadly stated, a quantum superposition is the combination of all the possible states of a system (for example, the possible positions of a subatomic particle). The Copenhagen interpretation implies that the superposition undergoes collapse into a definite state only at the exact moment of quantum measurement.

In other words, a definite state will only exist once an observer is cognizant of it.

With Schrödinger's cat:

From Wikipedia: A cat, along with a flask containing a poison and a radioactive source, is placed in a sealed box shielded against environmentally induced quantum decoherence. If an internal Geiger counter detects radiation, the flask is shattered, releasing the poison that kills the cat. The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics implies that after a while, the cat is simultaneously alive and dead. Yet, when we look in the box, we see the cat either alive or dead, not both alive and dead.

I wonder if the alternate reality is something to this effect – something that supports quantum superposition but also experimentally validates Schrödinger's cat?

What I mean is – what if both realities exist in a sort of flux, and as soon as an outside observation is made, only one will actually exist?

This may fit into Widmore’s concern that “we will cease to exist”.

Obviously, based on the fact that the alternate reality people can see their lives in the current reality, the two realities are tied together and not independent. Therefore, they are not multiple universes, but one universe split (temporarily) into two which will have to revert back to one.

If I was to try to tie religion into all of this, perhaps the “observer” in Schrodinger’s cat is, in the case of the two realities, God, or a higher being? Nemesis or Jacob? Someone whose actions cause one of the realities to cease to exist?

I’m really not sure how that ties in. There is also wave collapse theory, which Achalli has spelled out very well. But in the end, I do believe only one reality can exist, and that both science and religion will somehow play into it.

On the science side, Eloise Hawking has been guiding people along in the background, just as Desmond is doing now.

Duality, Dreams, the Candidates and the nature of the ALT

I’m not saying that the “ALT” is a dream – but you may want to read on….

Part I: Duality

Let’s start with a look at duality. Below are three definitions for duality – one in general terms, one as it relates to physics, and one as it relates to philosophy. Each is followed by an example (or two) in relation to Lost:

Duality (general): dichotomy: being twofold; a classification into two opposed parts.
Lost Example: good vs. evil, science vs. faith.

Duality (physics): the property of matter and electromagnetic radiation that is characterized by the fact that some properties can be explained best by wave theory and others by particle theory

Lost Example: this is the theoretical basis of the unique physical properties of the island that allow time travel, etc. (see my theory “Hawking’s Imaginary Voyage” and others).

Duality (philosophy): The concept that our mind has a non-material, spiritual dimension that includes consciousness and possibly an eternal attribute and is separate from our physical being.

Lost Example: the ‘real’ spirits (not Nemesis faking it), Jacob’s ladder, the ‘alternate reality’ – more below…

I think we can all agree that duality is a major theme in Lost, and as is briefly mentioned above, it covers several critical aspects of the show. Fundamentally, duality has helped theorize the island’s physical properties. I also believe it can be used to help theorize the nature of the alternate reality.

Part II: Jacob (of the Bible)’s Dream

Right off the bat, spirits and dreaming have a common point relative to Lost: Jacob’s ladder. Many believe (including me) that Jacob’s name is in reference to Jacob’s ladder, a gateway to the spirit world, and that Lost (which I believe is Lost Eden, but that is a different theory) provides a unique gateway to the spirit world.

So what is the connection to spirits and dreaming?:

Jacob’s ladder: Book of Genesis (28:11–19): “And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!”

The relevance of Jacob’s ladder to dreams is this: Jacob’s ladder was revealed to Jacob in a dream. The spirits that he saw “ascending and descending” were seen by him while dreaming. Important?

As I stated, Jacob’s ladder is the figurative gateway in Lost that the spirits travel through when they visit the island – the free spirits, that is (not like Michael, who seems to be trapped like Nemesis) – spirit’s like Richard’s wife and so on.

So – if we take literally the story of Jacob (the Bible version of him) and that he saw the angels/spirits in a dream, then we can state that spirits can be seen and met in a ‘dream state’.

Using the “duality philosophy” mentioned above, the dream state can actually be considered a “reality”. Per the definition, consciousness is separate from the physical being. This consciousness resides elsewhere, in another reality.

This consciousness is also what lives on after the physical body perishes. So, the spirit of Michael is the consciousness of Michael. Same with Richard’s wife, and the other ‘real’ spirits that have been encountered on the island – they are the consciousness that live on, that have been “judged” based on their actions while living, and they reside in a different state of being, but are encountered in the “crossover” realm of the island.

But – spirits are not encountered by everyone. Recall, not everyone can see them.

Part III: Jacob’s Candidates

This will be short because I don’t have a strong theory here, just an observation. Jacob’s candidates are special. Why? I don’t know. However, one thing that they some seem to have in common (at least the finalists) is their ability to see spirits.

So it seems one criterion for the finalists may be this ‘ability’ to commune with spirits. Someone like Jack or Sawyer can see them (Jack’s father, the ‘boy’ that appears before Nemesis) but Hurley seems to take it to another level – they seem drawn to him and vice versa.

What I think this means is the following: if they can ‘see’ spirits, then they can ‘see’ or are aware of the dream state the spirits exist in.

Part IV: Alternate Reality

Final part of this theory.

In the Bible and other sacred scriptures, the term "death" and "sleep" are used interchangeably (change “death” to “spirit world”). Sleep has traditionally been called "death's sister." Scholars believe that the Book of Revelation is an account of a dream or a series of dreams by John the Revelator. The reason it is believed to be a dream is because the symbolism found in the Book of Revelations is remarkably similar to the prophetic dream symbology of the prophet Daniel in the Book of Daniel (from a website on dreaming).

Now – I am not saying everyone is asleep and is about to wake up. Just want to clarify that.

However, I do believe there is a state of existence where the spirits reside (heaven, for instance). This state of existence is connected to the physical world through the anomaly of the Island (through Jacob’s ladder).

In the world, there are special individuals. Desmond and Ms Hawking are examples of this due to their ability to travel in their minds through imaginary space-time (see Hawking’s Imaginary Journey).

The candidates are also special. They are somehow connected to the spirit world (based on the fact they can see spirits and others cannot).

So: the alternate reality.

The hydrogen bomb explodes. The electromagnetism released is faster than the explosion itself (speed of light vs. however fast an H-bomb explosion is), so when the ALT is “created” or “turned on” by that event, the explosion occurs in that reality (ALT) and sinks the island there (in the ALT) - basically because the H-bomb energy had to go somewhere via the laws of physics.

In the current timeline, the explosion does not destroy the island or kill Jack et al in the current timeline. They are “flashed” back to the present

Why does it happen this way? Because we know that time travel in Lost is the “consistent histories” kind, meaning that you cannot go back in time unless history shows that you had already arrived in the past and not committed any acts that would conflict with your current situation in the present. (This is based on the fact that everything they did in Dharma was captured in the present time.)

Example: when the Losties first crash on the island, the picture of some of them from the 70s with Dharma is hanging in an Others’ house, even though they have not yet travelled back in time yet (that is in their future but in the overall timelines past).

So the explosion does not change the past, present, or future of the current reality. If it did, the island would be sunk, along with the picture of the Losties in the Others’ house. Since the island is not sunk, the explosion did not sink it (in the current reality). Instead, it sunk the island in the ALT.

But what is the ALT?

I believe that a “potential” world (not the many worlds theory, where alternate realities exist) came into being. It was there all along as a “potential reality”, and was ignited into life suddenly. How?

The candidates “turned it on” (sort of like turning a light on in a dark room) when they were hit with the electromagnetic flash from the explosion. Their physical forms went to the present timeline (and the present 2007 reality), and their consciousness (remember duality) flashed into the new ignited ALT.

This ALT had to come into existence because the bomb went off and the energy had to sink the island (law of physics), but the ALT exists in this form because of the time travel law of consistent histories – remember, the island is not sunk in the current timeline. 

How about some detail on the ALT? It is another medium, another Jacob’s ladder sort of existence. It is real, but not physically real. It is imaginary, which is why Desmond and Ms Hawking can reach it through their abilities. Spirits can enter it, which is why we see living and presently deceased people, though they are all restricted by the ‘physical memories’ which resided in their physical memories (even in the ALT), which is why Charlie does not know that he is dead, etc.

Also, because this is a ‘dream state’, individuals like Jack’s son can exist. Jack’s son is real in the sense of a dream – what I mean by that is the ALT does not create new consciousnesses, but beings exist much as they would in a dream.

Think about some of the clues in the ALT that make it seem like a dream – the inconsistencies in what people are wearing from one scene to the next (Desmond’s suit changed from the plane to the airport), Desmond’s wedding ring (he has one, he doesn’t have one), Jack’s scar on the wrong side in the mirror, the fact that Sun and Locke get to the hospital at the same time even though time must have transpired differently for each of them for that to happen, the ‘bleeding’ of real world memories into the ALT….

To clarify – I don’t think it will be as simple as the Losties waking up and the ALT disappearing. They are awake AND their consciousnesses exist in the ALT. The ALT is a real place, just not like we are used to.

And I do think it is the loophole that Nemesis has been after. With the help of the candidates, he has created a way off the island – and a way back into the spirit world that is now not guarded (“we’ll all go to hell” was what Richard’s wife said – maybe this is because evil incarnate (Satan) can now get into heaven and restart the war).

And I think this is where Nemesis wants to go, and for the ALT to continue to exist, he has to take the physical forms of the “dreamers” (candidates) with him so they cannot “awaken”.

One last thought. What does “awaken” mean? I’m not exactly sure, but I feel as if only one existence can last. Nemesis wants it to be the ALT. Desmond is doing what he can to “wake up” the candidates in the ALT and thereby (just like in Quantum Physics) create an observation by the observer that leads to one reality (hopefully the real reality)… to create a Lucid Dream scenario.

The Lucid dream is when you suddenly realize you are dreaming. One way that this occurs can be reading. Many people cannot read in their dreams, or when they do, the letters get jumbled and move around, etc…and occasionally this causes the dreamer to realize it is a dream and not real.

So if the candidates were to see the manifest – to read it… would that be enough? Is there something additionally important about the manifest, something they would search it for, and yet not be able to, because, as real as it seems, this is still a dream? Other individuals can read and not affect the reality, like Linus. And at some point, if this reality becomes the ‘real’ reality, perhaps even the candidates can too. But while the ALT is in this transitional phase, perhaps this is one way to create lucidity?

And was that why Ms Hawking told Desmond he was not ready to see the list?

(I do realize he saw Faraday’s journal, but he barely glanced at it – maybe not enough to make him realize at that moment, but it was not long after anyhow)…

That last bit about reading is certainly a stretch (most of the theory may be – but that’s why it’s a theory!)…

So I’m sure there are many gaps in this theory, but hopefully some of it holds together.

Thanks for sticking with it! Thoughts?