LOST-Theories.com

Is there a power that is equal to that of Universal Destiny? It’s on an island outside of time and space, where anything could happen and the choices you make can not be course corrected.

— Bad_Robot

In my mind, theorizing about Lost is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the series. I have been a die hard fan of the show since I watched the Pilot episode, and spent more time researching forums and scientific methods that may help explain the phenomenon we witness, than is probably healthy or sane.

In the end, it always boils down to the fact that the writing staff has been so thoughtful and deliberate in the way that they have revealed the story, that we are left trying to decipher a code without the key. It has been broken down in such a way that without the “Missing Pieces” we are trying to understand the image that an incomplete puzzle portraits.

While this still may be exciting and intellectual, it can also at times be frusterating. It is important to understand that we are not supposed to have all of the information, and that imagining what the picture may look like when complete is what gives this experience its charm.

I would however like to discuss some older theories and talk about how they may intersect with one another, and perhaps give some insight into where we should focus our intent as we continue to try and make sense of it all.

disclaimer: Many of the ideas and observations that I will talk about below were originally presented by other theorists. While several are still my own, please research the original theories for a better understanding of them.

The Story So Far: Let’s begin with the canon information that has been given to us in a factual manner. While the Lost Experience was somewhat shoddily presented and also not incredibly accessible to the majority of Lost viewers, it contained some critical elements of information that die-hard theorists have used for many a speculation.

The Valenzetti Equation - http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Valenzetti_equation So far, this is the best and only explanation of the numbers that we as fans have received. The Dharma Initiative was created by the Hanso Foundation, to research the possibility of changing any of these factors. We also see that Mittelwerk verifies that since these numbers are still being broadcasted, the DI has failed in thier objective. Throw Mrs. Hawkins into the mix, who explains to Desmond that the “Universe has a way of course correcting itself”, therefore regardless of what you may try to do to change the future while operating from the past or present, ultimately the universe will to continue on it’s “proper” course.

This leaves us with the question of whether there is truly any point to any of the choices that either the Dharma Initiative or even any of the characters have made up to this point. If the universe has a pre-ordaned destination that it is constantly moving towards, and no choice that an individual makes can make a difference, then we are all simply pawns that bring that eventuality to its conclusion. Every action that is taken, is simply putting into effect a chain of events that will without fail cause the inevitable to occur.

And so…choice versus fate. One of many continual themes that arises in our saga. Mrs. Hawkins seems to believe that we are powerless against the nature of destiny, and that regardless of the actions we take, we are all simply spiraling towards the inevitable. Assuming that the ultimate mystery of the show, the end game, has some bearing on the survival and fate of mankind (which it has eluded to on several occassions) than, is this the story of how that end came to be or how it was narrowly avoided by the actions of our heroes? For myself, I believe that it is the nature of good storytelling to have a purpose, to have a satisfactory conclusion that gives the story itself purpose. Therefore, I believe that we are witnessing the epic adventure that ultimately leads to our salvation, and not the events that lead to our destruction. With that being said, is Mrs. Hawkins mistaken? Is there a power that is equal to the power of universal destiny? I believe that there is, on an island that is outside time and space, where anything could happen and the choices you make can not be course corrected.

The Island: Personally, I have always been an avid believer in the Vile Vortice theory (http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/VileVortices%28theory%29) I believe that if you begin to research the locations of the vortices on the globe, vs. the elements that we have been introduced to in the show (Polar bears, Yemi’s Plane, The Black Rock, Tunisia, Juliet’s Submarine ride from the Florida Coast) it would have to be a pretty amazing coincidence to have no bearing on these Vortices whatsoever. I believe that the Island is “Outside Space and Time” by residing inside of it’s own dimension of sorts. A “snowglobe” represented by the electro-magnetic storm that surrounds it and confuses space and time as we have seen in The Constant. I believe that the only way for one to reach this island, is to gain entry through one of those Vortices or through the storm itself while following the correct bearing which may or may not change from vortice to vortice. It seems that the island is a dumping ground for anything traveling to this special place through the vortices, or that infact these vortices are portals from our world, into its. Consequently, it makes sense that by harvesting one of the powers of the island, you could travel back through these Vortices (Wormholes). Enter the Orchid Station. Is the Orchid Station simply another Dharma Hatch for experimenting on the solution for the Valenzetti Equation, or are there more ancient powers at work that the DI simply built upon or tried to understand? The Orchid station appears to hold the power to “Move the Island”. It doesn’t seem likely that the Dharma Initiative came up with that technology on thier own, so we can assume that it was in place before they arrived. However this power came to be, is one of the missing peices that we have yet to discover.

The Children: For some reason, presumably due to the nature of time and space on this island, children are not able to be successfully born here. This dillema took a major role in both the first season, with children being kidnapped by the others, and the third season, with Juliet’s attempts to solve the problem. Now it has become prominent again, as we see Richard Alperts involvement with the birth of John Locke. John Locke as a child in his most recent flashback was drawing images of the smoke monster, and Richard seemed to think that somehow a young Locke would be able to recognize items that he would not encounter for decades. The only possible explanation for that that I can see, is that he suspected that John Locke’s conciousness from the future, could somehow be present in John Locke as a child, similar to how Minkowski’s conciousness became aware in a younger Minkowski in the past, who was riding a Ferris Wheel. Had Locke’s conciousness from the future (evidently present due to his Cerberus drawings) not evolved enough to pick out the compass that he later in life gives to Sayid, therefore signifying to Richard that he was not yet ready to serve thier purpose? Could this be why Richard later makes another attempt to recruit Locke into a Mittelos run program, to see if his conciousness from the future has evolved at all?

Seemingly the island is orchestrating Aaron’s escape from the island as well. Christian Shepherd appears to Claire and leads her away, later appearing in Jacob’s cabin with her and explaining to Locke that the baby is exactly where it needs to be. Clair seems to be alright and understanding of this for some reason, so whatever Christian said to convince her of this seems to have worked. The scene with Clair there reminded me of the scene with Cindy the flight attendent who had been abducted and later appeared to Jack and calmly told him that they were there to watch. Can the powers on the island sense that with Keeme and his men in the Orchid Station, and Ben apparently heading into exile soon as his appearance in Tunisia with a bullet wound may suggest, that the island will not be a safe place for Aaron who is somehow important to its survival?

As for Walt, however it is that his special talents manifest themselves, one observation that I might make is that many birds rely on electromagnetic energy to navigate by. Considering the bird that slams into the window while he is still in Austrailia, and also the many birds that have seemingly done the same during the Missing Peices mobisode, is it possible that Walts powers are related to electromagnetic energy, and that these birds are laying in a course for him only to kill themselves against the walls that are between them? If Walt’s abilities do lie in that realm, he may be a useful tool for both exposing people to the energy neccesary to trigger the conciousness to travel through time, or for interfering in the EM energy that protects the island and its vortices.

What is the significance of the children of Lost and why does the island protect and recruit them? How far does the Island’s power reach and how much is it capable of controlling? The island protects life itself amongst those who would serve its purpose, and as far away as New York City. It can project images or spectres across great distances as well as we have seen while Hurley has been visted by Charlie, or Jack by his Father. It obviously manipulates people into both protecting it and furthering it’s intent. Are we to believe that it does these things in order to protect the fate of the human race? The Valenzetti Equation came about much later than the island has been controlling these things, so clearly whatever its purpose is, it is not the same as what the Dharma Initiative was trying to accomplish. They may have been using the islands removed state beyond time and space to bypass the universal laws of course correction in order to save the human race, but what is it that the island wants? Does it continue to show Hurley the Valenzetti factors to remind him that he has work to do? If the Island’s objective corresponded to that of the Dharma Initiative, it most likely would not have used Richard and Ben as tools to exterminate them. That being said, the Valenzetti factors (The numbers) were probably only a tool that the island used to manipulate Dharma coming to the island to begin with. I don’t believe that the Valenzetti Factors are the eventual explanation for the numbers, but merely yet another example of how the Island manipulates others to end up serving its will. If it wanted them to come there however, then it must have had a reason, and then later once its purpose was served, eliminated them. That then leads me to ask what the purpose truly was for the DI to be present on the island. Perhaps nothing more than to set up the scenario for Ben, the Others, the Losties, and even Widmore’s Freighter Folk to all end up at the same place at this time.

If you start to examine these questions on this level, it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle of universal course correction, and ultimately the end game is proposed by the most important question of them all: What is the island trying to accomplish, and how do the tools that it has chosen to use, help it to do such? Whether Ben and Charles are good or evil, will become more evident once we know what the Islands intentions are. If a force so powerful can manipulate people to this degree, what hope do we have of avoiding whatever fate it has in mind? Therefore we arrive back in a similar situation as to earlier when we tried to understand the nature of choice vs. fate. However, on the Island, outside of time and space, choice has power, and the decisions that our cast of characters make will have an impacted that will not be course corrected. So if the characters we have come to know and love ultimately have to struggle against the power of the island to avoid being used by it, then they will have to take the battle to it. If they were to destroy the island, should its intentions turn out to be of ill will….then unfortunately for the island, the universe could do nothing to course correct itself.

Of course, then we would simply all be back in the thrall of universal destiny, with no place that choice mattered. So what would the point of telling such a story be? Instead we must assume that the islands nature is in our best interest, and that it is infact manipulating all of these events to help its chosen few step outside the universes ability to course correct, and change the fate of mankind to avoid destruction.

Key characters

Short Name	Full Name	Episodes	Theories
Aaron	Aaron Littleton		337
Claire	Claire Littleton	2.15, 2.12, 1.10, 1.15, 1.21, 3.12	361
Desmond	Desmond David Hume	2.23, 3.17, 4.5	804
Hurley	Hugo “Hurley” Reyes	2.18, 2.4, 1.18, 4.1, 4.12	520
Jack	Jack Shephard	1.1, 1.5, 2.11, 1.11, 1.16, 1.20, 3.9, 3.22, 3.1, 4.10, 4.12, & 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13	1377

Key episodes

#	Title	Aired	Central character	Theories
4.11	Cabin Fever	5-8-2008	John	180
4.10	Something Nice Back Home	5-1-2008	Jack	130
4.9	The Shape of Things to Come	4-24-2008	Ben	229
4.8	Meet Kevin Johnson	3-20-2008	Michael	77
4.5	The Constant	2-28-2008	Desmond	96

Key locations

Theme	Relevant Episodes	Theories
Jacob’s Cabin	4.1, 3.20	120
The Orchid Station	& 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13	99

Comments