Note that the latest version of this theory is here: mirrormattermoon.blogspot.com
However, there is a lot of indirect evidence here that was left out of the current version.
| In 2 Sentences: From Jacob and "Esau" to science and faith, all of Lost appears to be an homage to duality, including the island itself. The island is special because it exists on the dark side of the universe, with the dark matter there complimenting our "light" matter. |
Lost might be a multi-layered homage to yin-yang duality (where one side can't exist without the other). Some physicists have argued that a complete universe needs to have two sides — two sides that exist in parallel but are normally invisible (or "dark") to each other — two sides where the matter operates in the same way, but where stars and planets formed in different patterns. The sides are different according to "mirror reflection symmetry," meaning that left and right are reversed on the very small scale of particle physics. The particles on our side (Portland) have "left-handed" interactions, and the particles on the other side (Starboardland) have "right-handed" interactions. This right-handed dark matter is known as mirror matter. In the words of Locke in Episode 1: "... Two sides... One is light... One is dark." Note which hand each stone is in.
Imagine a small, invisible world developed on a dark mirror matter asteroid that crashed into Earth long ago. The island would be a continent on a world "on the other side of Earth," as the producers have hinted. But this chunk of dark matter also contains exotic material that allows the natural formation of wormholes between the island world and Earth. Thus this dark island connects the two sides of the universe and is a place of epic duality. Mimicking the ebb and flow of yin and yang, dominance over the island continuously shifts between light, faith-based (see Manichaeism), and dark, science-based, factions. When one side becomes too dominant, its power wanes and the other gains strength. Furthermore, the conflict incorporates a yin-yang-like struggle between the personification of light/life (Jacob) and the personification of darkness/death ("Esau"). As they can't exist without each other, for the conflict to end, both sides must perish or the sides must merge.
The light side faction is headed by someone who is born on Earth, moves to the island, and loses his or her father; and the dark side is led by someone who is born on the island and moves to Earth (e.g., Hanso, Aaron). These representatives are symbolic of the dots in the yin-yang. There also seems to be a supernatural force that ensures the balance between factions. That force achieves its ends by communicating through ghosts and ensuring the movement of certain people, like Aaron, back and forth. It's probably meaningful that 815, the US Army, Juliet [thanks Christine], and possibly Desmond, may have all arrived on an equinox, when light and dark are most balanced.
BELOW IS AN ELABORATION WITH UNNECESSARY DETAILS. This is a "living" document. I welcome your feedback. — Mike
Mirror Matter
"The island is invisible. If you fly over it, you can't see it. Satellites can't take pictures of it." [from a co-creator] Mirror matter (aka shadow or Alice matter, after Lewis Carroll's works) is a hypothetical form of (invisible) dark matter. It's based on a very basic concept in physics. Check out the latest Nobel Prize. Recent theorizing on mirror matter was sparked by work by physicists in Ann Arbor, MI. The key is that "our" side and the mirror matter side don't "talk" all that much. But gravity is shared between them, and the electromagnetic force can be felt between them to a limited extent. This weak bond lets the chunk of mirror matter remain loosely tethered to Earth, allowing some freedom of movement.
This theory is on some levels inspired by hard science, but it's absolutely science fiction. The one book focused on making mirror matter understandable is by Australian physicist R. Foot. A co-creator made the odd remark that the show would end "just outside the Crab Nebula." On the cover of Foot's book, 'Shadowlands' (the name for the mirror matter side of the universe) is placed, amazingly, just outside the Crab Nebula. That is, it might just be an artful way of saying the show ends on the island. And that huge foot... Paying homage?
A potential reference to parity inversion (matter to mirror matter and vice-versa). Swap West for East and you get the location of the wreckage instead of the location of the plane's disappearance. [Thanks, Jason!] More here. The idea is that the location of the wreckage is ridiculously far off because it sets up an Easter egg.The Dark Mirror Matter "Moon"
The idea is that the little moon — a very tiny planet if you're more comfortable — has only ocean and the large and small islands. That's it. Juliet: "So they have a boat — sailing in circles will keep them busy." A dark matter moon also gives a reason for Apollo Bars made of dark chocolate, "Dark Territory," and "Black Rock," which is ultimately what the island is. The sun in the sky would be Nemesis or another mirror matter star at roughly the same location as our sun. In fact, there's a video by Speaker (a LOST insider) that features a dark sun. The "exit" in the Sahara and the "pockets" Hawking described presumably contain dark matter and/or the exotic matter contained within the island. If there is a pocket near Portland, it's probably at Beacon Rock, which might be where Ben was born and might be exactly 90° from the exit. In Narnia, the lamp-post marks the path to Shadowlands (Earth). Similarly, the Lamp-Post marks the path to Shadowlands (the world of mirror matter). To continue with the science-inspired fiction, near limitless energy could come from a matter–mirror matter heat engine.Through the Looking-Glass Via Little Wormholes
Wormholes were originally thought to let you pass into a mirror universe of sorts. Plus, Lewis Carroll used an early version of the concept when devising his "looking-glass" world. Perhaps passing through a certain kind of window-like wormhole flips matter to mirror matter or vice-versa. If that's assumed, wormholes would be necessary for travel to and from a mirror matter world. In line with this idea is the fact that the island is packed with the stuff needed to allow you to pass through wormholes, namely those pockets of "negatively-charged exotic matter." Some wormholes would bridge different moments in on-island and off-island time. Hence, a different angle of entry or exit can deposit you in the past or future. And a failure to find an angle that directs you through a wormhole means you're stuck (like Desmond on his boat). It's like a spacecraft entering the Earth's atmosphere. If you enter the atmosphere at too steep an angle, you'll burn up; if you enter it [at] too shallow an angle you'll bounce off and back into space. And I think that that analogy is a good one for how you have to get on or off the island. [from the producers]Movement — Inspiration for Global Afterworld/Island Mythologies
This theory offers two ways in which the island can move: (1) the moon literally slides around (even orbiting within) Earth due to a weak electromagnetic connection to Earth, perhaps being attracted to electromagnetic hotspots; (2) the whole moon jumps geographically and through time via wormholes. A wheel-turn apparently enlarges the radius of a wormhole to be large enough for the entire landmass to slip through, and is a dramatic demonstration of the latter way. (1) fits with what the producers call the "slow drift" that is typical of the island's movement and (2) fits with the "big jump" they say occurred after Ben turned the wheel. The slow drift can probably be clocked at less than the top speed of the freighter, as an exchange between Ray and Desmond suggested the freighter was pursuing the island. Note that even a slow drift of 5 knots could move the island mass from Sydney to LA in a couple of months.
Because it moves, the island world has served as the inspiration for Duat (the Egyptian underworld), Atlantis, Lemuria, the invisible island that was the birth place of Apollo, Tartarus, and so on. People from around Earth have encountered the island and so it has served as the common origin of many mythologies (which incorporate the oddities of the island, e.g., mind-body duality, serpent monsters, vanishing islands).
Because it moves, the island world has served as the inspiration for Duat (the Egyptian underworld), Atlantis, Lemuria, the invisible island that was the birth place of Apollo, Tartarus, and so on. People from around Earth have encountered the island and so it has served as the common origin of many mythologies (which incorporate the oddities of the island, e.g., mind-body duality, serpent monsters, vanishing islands).
Smoke Monster — Native Creature / Inspiration for Global Dog/Serpent Mythologies
In short, it's a life-form that developed on this little world while humans developed on Earth. And, running with the theme, it mirrors. It explores and learns, building a repertoire of behaviors, sounds, and appearances that mimic what it experiences. Because it evolved on a world with a dominant electromagnetic field, it perceives electromagnetic fields. Hence, it mimics the shape of the fields it encounters and is at home among the rich sources of electromagnetism in the core of the island. Contact with the monster has inspired global dog/serpent-related mythologies, like Cerberus, death-spirit of Erebus, the god of darkness and shadows; and Ammit, the Egyptian monster/goddess who devours sinners who enter the underworld.
DHARMA Initiative
DHARk MAtter Initiative? (might be a stretch) But the DHARMA logo — an inverted version of the "Inner-World"/"Later Heaven" arrangement of the Bagua — fits well. The actual center of the Bagua is the yin-yang, and the trigrams comprise light (yang —) and dark (yin --) elements. DHARMA's mission was to exploit the island to try to address the Valenzetti equation. From a broader perspective, DHARMA represented the "dark" side from the early 1970s until the time they were purged. The Namaste gesture symbolizes a peaceful meeting of the left and right hands. However, as Ben said, "one side had to go, one side had to be purged."
More on the Mythology and Supernatural Elements
Jack thought that "Adam and Eve" died without trauma to their bones and were laid to rest in the caves 40 to 50 years ago, which could have corresponded to a "purge" of the "dark" (science) side that occurred as Widmore or Hawking took control of the Others, and would make them candidates for their parents. Likewise, Alvar Hanso, the apparently un-aging great grandson of the captain of the Black Rock, may have been born on the island, only to leave and later become a leader of the dark side (i.e., DHARMA). A prediction is that in 2008 some grand event will mark the subjugation or purging of the light faction (see the Spider Protocol) and the ascension of the dark faction (see the reconstitution of DHARMA). [ Jacob did take a hit, but I imagined his followers to be on the defensive as well.]
From a "science" standpoint, the freaky supernatural stuff is due to an ability to manipulate the electromagnetic force. People who are "special" in the psychic sense are attuned to electromagnetism and are able to see events on the island or do "psychic things" on the island because of it. The crashing birds, for example, are likely a result of Walt changing the EM field around himself. (Many migratory birds rely on EM fields for geomagnetic navigation.)
In agreement with mind/body dualism, the whispers seem to be disembodied souls. Also see Ka, a ghostly component of the ancient Egyptian conception of the soul.
From a "science" standpoint, the freaky supernatural stuff is due to an ability to manipulate the electromagnetic force. People who are "special" in the psychic sense are attuned to electromagnetism and are able to see events on the island or do "psychic things" on the island because of it. The crashing birds, for example, are likely a result of Walt changing the EM field around himself. (Many migratory birds rely on EM fields for geomagnetic navigation.)In agreement with mind/body dualism, the whispers seem to be disembodied souls. Also see Ka, a ghostly component of the ancient Egyptian conception of the soul.
Appreciation of One's Duality is Central to Character Development
Producer Carlton Cuse: We are interested in exploring how good and evil can be embodied in the same characters and the struggles we all have to overcome the dark parts of our souls. It's as though the island forces you to see your true self in the mirror. [Thanks to HearingVoices for discussion] The characters are forced to confront their inner demons. Examples: Hurley and his guilt; Jack and his failure to be a great man by the standards of his father; Sawyer dealing with "Sawyer;" Boone acknowledging his love for Shannon; Desmond and Charlie and their sense of worthlessness; etc. On a side note, Locke gave up his left kidney, and then had it murdered by Sawyer. This left-side/science sacrifice later saved him from death when he was shot by Ben.Wrap Up
LOST begins with an opening right eye. [Thanks to blacklodge for pointing this out] Will it end with an opening left eye back on Earth or a closing right eye on the island? Or neither? After all, this craziness could be 100% wrong.I've been tweaking this now and then for around two years, and I get great help. I owe a great debt to posters on The Fuselage and DarkUFO, the commenters on this blog, and people whose commentary on this theory I've unwittingly and happily run across on the Web. They have, at the minimum, given these ideas some resonance and offered amazing and intelligent feedback. Thanks for reading.
P.S. — I can't help but recommend an excellent and different theory based on mirror matter by BigMouth.
Further Evidence
If you're a fan of the show, you've surely seen a billion references to mirrors, reversals, inversions, and Alice in Wonderland (mirror matter is also known as Alice matter, in reference to Lewis Carroll's works)...- Backward speech, rabbits, chess games
- Episodes entitled "White Rabbit" and "Through the Looking Glass"
- Jack reads to Aaron from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
- Charlie crosses with the wrong hand (left instead of right) in the Looking Glass
Ana Lucia's shirt was white before the crash and mysteriously changed to black after the crash [Thanks to jane_eris and others for this]- Hurley, oddly, crashed into a large collection of mirrors at the start of the second half of the show
- As an anonymous commenter points out, Ben's bullet wound switched from his left side to his right side between episodes
Beyond the Show Proper:
"Bad Twin," the book from The Lost Experience, includes twin brothers who are identical except for their handedness. That's a perfect analog to the matter/mirror matter distinction. [Thanks to Konstantin for this]
- In a broadcast by DJ Dan, there was a taped interview with a student working on a project, apparently for the Widmore Corporation:
Interviewer: "So, uh, then what are the possible applications of this research?
- Student: "Pretty much, we were asked to simulate an electromagnetic pulse strong enough to knock a space-borne body out of its recurring orbit."
- Interviewer: "Uh, space-borne body. Like what, exactly?"
- Student: "Like the moon." [Transcript from Lostpedia]
The Whitman poem in the online game leading up to Season 4 is poem # 180 in "Leaves of Grass."- The Compass logo for the Maxwell Group has left and right (East and West) reversed.
- Svalbard? The only connection to Svalbard in recent memory is "His Dark Materials" [Thanks to tdciago for this]
More:
- The Big Dipper appears to have had two stars removed, suggesting the stars are not meant to be our own. [Thanks to jane_eris and others]
- The species are different, as noted by Arzt. Sure, the EM field might contribute to this; but whenever someone speculates about mirror matter worlds they mention how the species would be different.
- Mikhail has only one eye. Here's part of R. Foot's description of Miros, a fictitious mirror matter world: "Miros is a planet made of mirror matter — atoms composed of mirror electrons and mirror protons and mirror neutrons. Miros is somewhat different from Earth though. It's a bit smaller with deeper oceans, but there is life on Miros. The people of Miros are a bit strange, they have very large feet and only have one eye ... Thus, Miros isn't much like Earth which just illustrates that microscopic symmetry of particle interactions does not translate into a macroscopic symmetry."
- The "Hatch Painting" in the Swan depicted: (1) a light female figure above/behind the water and a dark male figure in the water (a normal Penny and inverted Desmond?), (2) A collection of right-side-up stick figures above the waves and upside-down figures below the waves, (3) a trajectory that corkscrews to the right (like a diagram for a right-handed, mirror matter particle) apparently representing Des' path as he fell from the boat, (4) houses beneath the waves, (5) a moonlit night above the waves and a sunlit day beneath the waves. Is that meant to be Ayers Rock in the upper left?
- Boone — not a philosopher, but the BooNE experiment(s) at Fermilab regarding dark matter
The Large Hadron Collider (referenced by the producers) is mentioned in Foot's book regarding research into mirror matter, as is aurora australus (which was seen in the online game preceding Season 4)- Part of the summary of "Valis" from Philip K. Dick's site: "an ancient, mechanical intelligence orbiting Earth..."
- Chang and the sub captain referred to the outside world as "the other side."
- 316 shifted from night to day, just as 815 should have, when entering the island's airspace. It seems like wormholes are necessary.
* There's something intentionally odd with the iconic shot in Episode 1 where Jack runs out of the jungle and scans the beach. As J. Wood points out, the POV shifts almost impossibly from Jack's left to his right. Specifically, the shot begins on his left, swings 180°, and ends on his right. [Thanks to Matt, who formulated that description and pointed out Overlord's thread about J. Wood's observation and analysis.] The generous reading in terms of this theory is that the shot alludes to the shift from left-handed Earth to the right-handed island world.- As Jenny A. points out, Jacob and his nemesis wore white and black shirts when they were discussing the arrival of what might be the Black Rock. Likewise, Juliet used a rather black rock to trigger the flash of white light (presumably the detonation).
Is everyone on the island from planet Earth? Damon Lindelof: If an island is defined by land mass surrounded by water, they are on an island. Carlton Cuse: Right. That's good. DL: Right. CC: Yeah, I don't think we should say anything more than that. DL: Yes, that's how that's... CC: That's right. DL: This is about definitive answers. We have defined the term 'island'. We have confirmed that they are in fact on one. CC: And it's surrounded by water. DL: It is. CC: But everything beyond that is kind of up for grabs. What's great about those worlds [Narnia, Oz, and Wonderland] is they're all worlds on the other side of Earth. That is to say they're not fantasy realms like in Star Wars. Narnia is actually connected to the world that we know and so is Oz, as is Wonderland... as is our island. (gasp) ... I think that's a pretty good place to stop [the podcast]. There's no where to go from here. It aint a good place to start. Carlton Cuse: ... from Marvelo815: "So I was thinking… Does the island move? How does Eko's short range plane … go from Africa to somewhere near Australia? Maybe the island is forever moving..." |
| Manifestations of Duality | |
| Light | Dark |
| Yang | Yin |
| Jacob | "Esau" |
| Faith | Science |
| Others | DHARMA |
| Free will | Determinism |
| Earth | Island |
| Left-handed matter | Right-handed matter (maybe) |
| Ji Yeon | Aaron |
| Location of planted plane | Where 815 dissappeared |
| Hawking/Widmore | Alvar Hanso |
| Life | Death |
For many varied reasons, the apparent detonation will fail to prevent the construction of the Swan, and Jack and friends will be teleported to 2007.
As many people suspect, Richard will arrive with Magnus Hanso on the Black Rock. Although Magnus will die, Alvar will eventually be born on the island, leave, and later push for the creation of DHARMA. This lineage is important as it establishes a dark counterpart (Alvar) to the leader of the light/faith side.
Desmond will return to the island's past. Eloise knew Jack and friends had to return because she had seen them in the past. Presumably she knows the island "isn't done with" Desmond for the same reason. By being certifiably "special," Desmond might have a chance of undoing any catastrophe wrought by the bomb. If he returns with Penny to the 1950s, the couple would be good candidates for Adam and Eve.
Jack and friends will become faithful guardians of the island (becoming Others and reversing their original status). Meanwhile "Esau" and a new band of dark/science arrivals will weaken the light/faith/Jacob side, gaining dominance after the light side's 16-year run.
Like Melanie suggests, Jacob will rise like a phoenix, perhaps entering the corpse of Locke or else the living body of Jack.
Fast-forward to circa 2024. Aaron will be the leader of the dark side, and Ji Yeon will have arrived and become leader of the light side (after Jin's death). With any luck, instead of rivals, they will become a couple, ending the show with the message that harmony between opposites is the only way to prevent mutual destruction.
Latest Notes (Rambling until Season 6 starts...)
BigMouth makes the brilliant suggestion that Claire was used by "Esau" (in control of "Christian") to break the circle of ash, and thus allow "Esau" access to the cabin. "Esau" was then in place as "Christian" to intercede and instruct John to move the island. That seems too right to be wrong. :-)
July 26 (post Comic-Con):
* Jacob not taking the form of anyone else dispels suspicions that white-shoed Christian was a Jake-arition.
* It's tough to read Darlton's intentions with the what-if-the-island-were-destroyed videos. For a number of reasons — narrative, ontological, and commentary-wise — I think Faraday's plan will fail and Jack and friends will return to 2007 to confront "Locke." They may bounce around a bit on the way there, but there is probably only one, causally-secure (in a broad sense) universe.
August 1: Season 6 Poster
Light hieroglyphics on the left and dark on the right
September 3:
Professor John Cramer's 1989 "hard" sci-fi novel, Twistor, is apparently based on shifting property and people into mirror matter and back again. If you should happen upon the book, I'd naturally love for you to leave a comment on this page.
September 10:
Thanks to an anonymous commenter for catching this cool find by AddHawk on The Fuselage. As usual, the generous interpretation is that this is an intentional but buried allusion to mirror reflection symmetry. But really, who knows...
September 15:
For those who follow spoilers, here's my cryptic guess at what will transpire...
A fork on the plane will lead to some sideways action. But more likely than not, this will be a temporary diversion. Why bother? Maybe just for entertainment's sake, or maybe for a grand emotional arc involving a choice or a loss.
November 1:
Apparently "Esau" and Jacob were indeed designed to personify the black and white concept, which was introduced by Locke with the backgammon pieces. Moreover, the writers actually labeled them the "man in black" and "man in white." [from an interview with Damon that was captured by The ODI; see 25:00]
In reply to an email from Joel, here's a paper from 2000 on looking for mirror matter with the LHC.
November 8:
Perhaps "Esau," the man in black, sought to kill Jacob not out of revenge, but because Jacob, his figurative opposite, is the ultimate kill.
Locke's revival, Richard's preservation, Ben's recovery in the temple, the story of healing Juliet's sister, Jacob living beneath the protector of childbirth... They all suggest Jacob and the temple are associated with supplying life force. Jacob's touch may well have protected all he touched from death by Jughead — a 1-up before the fact, if you will.
But Esau's mission to kill Jacob, his ability to take the form of the dead, the monster, the chamber below the temple, the threats of Alex's "ghost" toward Ben... They seem to be associated with removing life force.
So "Esau" might have wanted to kill Jacob simply because it's his raison d'être.
November 14:
We can't leave out some of the biggest gods out there... Vishnu, the maintainer or preserver, versus Shiva, the destroyer or transformer.
I think the associations are obvious. Of course, there's also Brahma, the creator — and Jacob could very well correspond to, in part, a conflation of the two (Brahma and Vishnu). [Wiki]
November 30:
Two quick bits:
A. The original Jacob who said, "help me," might have merely been "Esau" trying—and mostly failing—to manifest within the protective circle of ash. See BigMouth's speculation about Claire breaking the ash and unwittingly permitting the entry of Esau.
B. Speaking of Jacob's security, Richard is the perfect righthand man for Jacob, as Esau can presumably never take the form of someone who cannot die.
In other words, that might be the reason for Richard's agelessness/immortality. Jacob needed a trustable gatekeeper. Of course, that assumes Richard wouldn't or couldn't be murdered and impersonated.
PLEASE NOTE: This is yet another new blog post. Your wonderful comments are here (just prior version), here (prior to that one) and here (earlier still).
223 comments:
1 – 200 of 223 Newer› Newest»Ahah! Black shoes!
j/k
I give you MAJOR credit for predicting a lot of stuff especially that the island moves.
Looking forward to the updates!!!
Chris
I have a feeling I'll be following this theory until the final epi. :-)
MO
Wow! You're psychic. You called it before S4. (Yes, I've been reading this since then - lol)
Margaret
Mike,
Do you think those pockets Hawking talks about are dark matter or the stuff behind the frozen donkey wheel?
Bill
Chris —
Thanks. Thankfully, the shoes don't really matter. And, the use of white for one and black for the other seems fine too.
MO —
Thanks. It's nice that you think it will last that long :)
Margaret —
Thanks. I think the word I should use is 'fortuitous'. It's gratifying that the premise motivating the theory is in some respects accurate. Still, the nature of the movement isn't quite clear. And, of course, a moving island doesn't exactly scream dark mirror matter. (Well, nothing does, LOL!)
Bill —
I think the source could be either dark matter OR negatively-charged exotic matter. I'm not sure. Certainly, for this theory, it's cooler if it's the former.
Mike
I guess I'm late to the party. Two years ago I would have thought this is completely insane but reading in now I think it's probably just about perfect. I just went from being totally angry and confused after the pendulum thing to "o yeah, maybe this stupid show actually makes total sense."
Hi Mike!
Been reading your text for quite some time, but never left a comment. Your theories are probably on the spot. Concerning the pendulum in the latest episode check this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucaults_Pendulum
Sam Sohlberg
Sweden
Sam —
Hi. Thanks!
At first I thought the pendulum was just a clever way to mark points on the map. But seeing the height of it, yes, I think the allusion to the famous pendulum is there.
Here's a wacky guess at a scenario:
Those pockets of electromagnetic energy (dark matter or just exotic matter?) attract and/or slow the island. But their strength fluctuates, and so the island moves along seemingly random paths between them.
Somehow the connection between the pocket beneath the pendulum and the other pockets lets the fluctuations of the other pockets influence the pendulum's movement.
Well, that's my over-technical stab at it. I'm sure they'll never fully explain it. LOL.
Cheers,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Yep, I think there´s more to it. I read the book more than 10 years ago, but remember things that can have Lost connections when looking through the Wiki page. Like the story being told mostly in flashbacks, conspiracy theories, opposing forces´s quest for world domination...
It is a good read!
later
Sam
Dear Mike,
This is absolutely brilliant! I;m sure they're going to clear up the whole timeline and who is who thing more this season.
Justin
Desmond might have entered on the equinox in 2001. Juliet entered on the equinox because 815 crashed on the third anniversay of when she entered, which is Sept 22 2001 and an equinox on that web page you posted.
Christine
Do you think the island is orbiting inside of earth kind of like you had it in the original version of your theory?
Sam —
Sorry, I went off on a tangent. I think it was awolben on the Fuselage who brought a lot of good connections between the show and the book. The pendulum showing the location of a portal is certainly super-relevant, as is a lot of what you raise. I should check it out over a vacation. Thanks again.
Justin —
Thanks. Yeah, the who and when elements are very much up in the air for me at the moment...
Christine —
Thanks for checking that out. I remember there being some discrepancy re Julie's arrival date (maybe the 21st or 22nd). But I think Sep 22 holds because of the relevant line of Juliet's.
So what are we to infer?
All of the arrival events that abide by the island's "wishes" occur on the Sep equinox?
I've suspected that's the case, and the photo date sounds pretty suggestive.
Anonymous —
There are some issues with the orbit idea, namely issues of gravity. So right now I'm more inclined to think that if the island is moving (without jumping), it's sliding around among the less dense matter of Earth (that is, in the ocean).
Mike
regarding mirror matter/duality, i just read a post that seems to support your theory. there are a series of screenshots of jack's first moments on the island (tie falling to the right) and the second time around (tie falling to the left).
http://www.getlostpodcastmedia.com/2009/02/19/lost-episode-5x06-316-easter-eggs-screencaps-audio-and-analysis/
Anonymous —
Thanks. Yeah, that is peculiar. And it is basically the only thing different between the shots. It's just a question of whether the tie was positioned purposely or accidentally. Hmm...
Mike
Cripes! Over a quarter million page views? How many people watch lost?
Hi again Mike!
Some more Lost connections, this time with Planet of the Apes. In the first movie there´s some dialogue that is repeated I think word for word in a recent Lost episode - "It´s not a question of where we are, but WHEN we are".
In the second movie "Beneath the Planet of the apes" there´s a cult living underground worshipping a bomb. It is displayed hanging just like in Lost.
Also, there is backwards time travel in a later movie in the series, to have apes go back in time to try to change ape history - in the struggle between man & ape.
later
Sam
Mike, I reread some of the quotes you've put in the lower section. THe DJ Dan one is amazing as well as the question from Marvelo815. Just saying..
Anonymous —
Well then, I guess I can stop paying that kid to hit "refresh" ;)
Yeah, they're hits. I think the unique visitor count is probably about 80% of that number (so like 200K). Viewership must be in the millions.
Sam —
Nice catch on that line. I know they've borrowed lines from Star Wars too.
Did anything occur with the bomb? Was it inert? Maybe there's an enlightening parallel to be found. :)
Anonymous —
Yeah, pretty psychic of Marvelo815, eh? It's funny that they chose to answer that question, and chose to answer it in a way that practically confirmed what Marvelo suspected.
I think it's strong evidence that their plan for the show has been pretty solid for long time.
And maybe those DJ Dan transcripts are worth combing over...
Mike
Mike, it still looks fine. So what if you might have to switch a few people around, you're just working on guesses. Everything else is looking more and more solid.
The S5 scenario sounds really solid. I don't think Ben will die though because he's such a good character.
Have you seen the preview? Who do you think is under the hood?
Chris
Your site is on piont!
urban jeff
Anonymous (1) —
Yeah, ultimately no big deal. And there were many reinforcing points in the midst of the confusion.
Nice the see the runway serving its purpose.
Anonymous (2) —
Thanks. Who knows about Ben of course. I hope he stays too, if only for the amazing acting. I just get the feeling his story has nearly run its course.
Chris —
Libby? Got me. :)
Jeff —
Thanks. Appreciated. We'll see how long this thing holds water.
Mike,
Going back to the pendulum. Do you think it could just be coincidence that the pendulum...which is supported to something obvisiously which we couldn't see because it was dark...and to which that particular Dharma station that it is in....which happens to be underneath a church filled with candles...could in some way also support your theory of mirroring matter? Another thought. Ben has made a few remarks over the seasons about his mother...i.e. when Jack asked Ben how he could read at time like this. Ben replied "Because my mother taught me." It could be he was just Ben being Ben. But perhaps he had learned from his mother, not the one our side of the mirror but maybe from the other. Could it be he knows of a window between the two that he has access to?
Thanks for the blog. I believe it sheds some light on what's happening with the island and its people.
Mike
There's a war coming. Must be two sides so we'll find out who's on the other. Locke against?
Mike —
Thanks.
Can you clarify what it is about the Lamp-Post that strikes you? The fact that it's beneath a church? Or that maybe the pendulum is physically connected to a pocket?
My impression is that Ben would, at most, be able to communicate with his mother's ghost. But, with wormholes and time-travel, of course, there's the possibility that Ben was actually able to spend time with his mother before he was born.
A mirrored version of her would be very cool. But to clarify the theory, I think what Ben has seen is his mother's ghost, not a mirrored version of her.
Anonymous —
Locke against... Ben and a new faction of his? Dharma, reconstituted? I'm looking forward to it.
Mike
mike 2: right. When ben replied to Jack's "how can you be reading at a time like this" with "my mother taught me", it seemed like he was being smart ass ben. But there must be more significance there, since his mom died in child birth. I also think that he was reading Joyce's Ulysses which also cannot be a coincidence. Talk about a mind-bender of a book.
Mike--brilliant theory by the way. I'm very into it and think that what I muse about below isn't necessarily inconsistent with your theory--though it's unclear to me how it would actually fit in either.
On the unequivocal Foucault's pendulum reference (ie: the one invented by the French physicist) and the apparent reference to Eco's book _Foucault's Pendulum_, there is a hint of where/what the island actually is--or at least what/where the Dharma people thought it was. Foucault invented his pendulum to be suspended from the ceiling, etc from a freely rotating joint to demonstrate that the earth rotates on an axis, and is not stationary. In the first pages of his book, Eco notes that what the pendulum actually demonstrates is in fact more profound--that there is a fixed point around which the universe rotates. Eco writes: "The Pendulum told me that, as everything moved--earth, solar system, nebulae and black holes, all the children of the great cosmic expansion--one single point stood still: a pivot, bolt, or hook around which the universe could move." p. 5
That fixed point is the island, or at least reference to it helps one find the island. Maybe it's not the island that's moving, but everything else. Has the universe become unhinged from its axis? Or due to some disturbance, maybe the path of the universe's (and the earth's) "orbit" about the fixed point has shifted.
Mike, Looks like your timeline might still have a chance. Not sure about the 1950s but 1976, 1992, 2008 could still all be transition years. So that means Locke is going to be be the leader at the end of the Others honey moon right?
Evan
I love the crazy little consistencies like the inverted DHARMA logo, the wreckage coordinates and the Crab thing that make basically no sense without this theory.
Mike —
Thanks. Being a smart ass, sure; still, maybe there's something to your hunch. I really wouldn't be surprised to see Ben communicating with his mom on a regular basis.
That's a totally fascinating idea about the "pivot" and the island. And, say, the pivot somehow points to the island, what does that say about he island?
Evan —
2008 looks pretty good. 1974 in the last episode, plus the truce, however, make me think it'll have problems. Odds are I'l end up dropping it.
Anonymous —
I like those odd-ball connections too. Whatever the truth behind the show, I hope it gives some explanation of that stuff.
Mike
This is brilliant. I don't think the writers are smart enough to put together something that is this consistent though! There will probably some stupid Egyptian alchemy or the other nonsense that JJ Abrams likes.
Anonymous —
Thanks. I too hope it won't go in the alchemy direction. But even if it does, I still have faith that the writers will pull it off brilliantly.
Mike, do you think there can only be one leader at a time on the island because in the yin yang there is only one dot on each side?
L
Another question - Do you think Jacob's cabin moves around like the island?
L/Anonymous —
Assuming there really is something to the yin-yang metaphor... I think that's a brilliant idea. :)
I think the cabin is probably in the realm of the dead. In other words, there are a whole bunch of spirits hanging around (the whispers, ghosts). The cabin moves because space is an incoherent construct in the spirit world. One of the effects of the exotic and/or dark matter is that it amplifies interactions between the living and dead (or body and mind, if you like philosophy).
But yeah, lol, I think there's a strong, intentional parallel between movement of the island and movement of the cabin. You could say Hurley came across the cabin while an event window was open.
Cheers
Mike,
I've been following this since the beginning of S4. Very impressed by how well it has held up, revisions included. Its amazing how the island is really always moving. Darlton must have wet themselves when they saw a theory like this so far in advance of that big reveal LOL!
bye,
Rob
Rob —
Thanks. We still don't know exactly how and why the island moves. But insofar as the idea of constant motion was correct in principle, it was really just lucky speculation.
Cheers,
Mike
I'm not convinced about the Ana Lucia shirt change. It seems to me that she's removed the shirt on the island and the black top is underwear.
Also, I think the scene in Flashes Before Your Eyes between Desmond and Widmore in Widmore's office has been overlooked as evidence. There is a painting to Desmond's left with the word Namaste on it which we see him look at to his right to view during the scene, with the painting mirrored when he looks at it.
Anonymous —
I think the black shirt could indeed be underwear as you suspect. What I think is odd though is that the white shirt (which might be have been over the black) is missing when the plane crashes, yet she's still wearing the jacket. Is it meaningful or her taking off the shirt during the flight? Got me. I should probably clarify that the shirt that is visible probably changed, not just the color.
Great call on the NAMASTE painting!
Anonymous above (Feb 22) notes that the two scenes when Jack arrives are nearly exactly the same, with the main exception being the direction his tie is pointing.
Intentional or accidental? I don't know. But I'm glad you guys are noticing and sharing this stuff. Thanks.
This theory is solid from floor to ceiling!
Great ideas, great evidence, great story!
Here's to hoping it's right!
!!!
Marcus
Well done, real nice job (i read it all)! I have to agree with u that the island is not from here, could be a meteor, as you said. And its amazing eletromagnetic field could open worm holes. But for me, the island is a machine that crashed here on earh. Check out the website i did to explain my theorie.
www.glauco.art.br/lost
Namaste!!!
Marcus —
Thanks!!! ;)
Glauco —
Thanks. I took a look the other day at your site. I don't know Portuguese, but from the diagrams, I like your premise very much! Who manufactured the island/ship?
Mike
Mike, I've been thinking about the wheel and looked back through your stuff to see what you think but I couldn't find much. Where do you think the wheel came from? An ancient civilization? I know that many were much more advanced than we give them credit for but this would seem to be a stretch. Manipulating highly advanced physics forces is pretty heavy stuff. Is it alien? I think this may be something that the show never answers definitively. One thing is for sure--it is very old. Remember, Locke turned the wheel at the same time that the others that were leaping through time with him were gazing at the full statue in the distance.
Ryan —
Hi. The wheel is certainly heavily loaded with metaphorical value — Dharmachakra, capstan, and whatnot. As for who made it, I like your inclinations. And the made-by-advanced-people-or-beings notion fits with the island-ship idea that I'm fond of. (Check out Glauco's above.) It seems to better fit a theory like that than a theory like this one.
On the other hand, if it *just* releases a burst of negative energy, maybe it's actually fairly simple in design. Maybe Magnus built it under Jacob's direction.
What really confuses me is whether the wheel existed in the days of Tawar-nubis (TM). It seemed to travel with the time-travelers.
Mike
316 aired in Australia this week and I thought of this page when Mrs Hawking said the island is always moving! An excellent call so early in the piece.
The fact that the freighter was able to correspond with the island so easy (save for the weird time differences perhaps explained by the kerr metric you refer too but man that theory is complicated) makes me even more sure that Desmond turning the failsafe key stopped the island from moving and then turning the wheel started it again.
HE —
Good to hear from you.
I think either (a) you're exactly right about the failsafe stopping the island's movement, or (b) the freighter was actually pursuing the island as it moved slowly at sea level.
Re: (b), from Lostpedia:
RAY: ... I think you'll like your room. It's on a quiet part of the ship.
DESMOND: This... ship isn't moving.
RAY: Well, if you say so.
Mike
One thing left out of your theory has to do with references to eyes and black white in Egypt. Here's some teachings from Egyptian mythology:
Black is associated with life - from the mud of the nile, unlike in western teaching where black is associated with death.
The eyes: These are the eyes of the sun god Horus whose left eye represents the moon; right eye represents the sun. Egyptians taught the sun and moon were two lights, and at celebrations for Horus offered two mirrors to the god.
As the sun god (Atum) moved over the nile, which is the divide between life and death, it was devoured by the night sky, and reborn at dawn.
Thanks
Melanie
Melanie —
I've reposted your comment to hide your full name (it seems that's what you intended).
Good stuff! Thanks!
You know, I've been trying to see if the eye thing can be reconciled with Locke's eyes in Claire's dream. Locke's left was white (like the moon I suppose) but the right was black, unlike the sun, except during an eclipse.
The info you share about gods moving across the sky makes me suspect the island might be tied to the movement of astral bodies. Faraday's astrolabe-like instrument might also tie in with these ideas.
Mike
Thanks very much for fixing that for me...
On your astral bodies note; might want to research Nut, the Goddess of the night sky. She is associated with women and birthing, gives birth to the sun each day (maybe something to do with the problem with children being born on the island?). And she is associated with the four directions. (so are canopic jars). Pharoahs were buried on the western side of the nile. Dark.
Maybe locke's eyes are the moon and night sky? Or the sun and night sky?
Not sure if this is anything, but in the Egyptian book of the dead, spell 108 is "Knowing the souls of the Westerners."
And for a few dollars you can buy the ancient papyri from Christie's.
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5193032&link=prev&page=13
thanks again!
Melanie
there is definitely some twinning/mirror/doppleganging going on; the woman taking care of Teresa looks an awful lot like Eloise Hawking and we have seen many other look-alikes and have heard dialogue about look-alikes not to mention the whole bad twin thing, I could swear we have already seen Ben’s doppelganger
maybe the order of jacob's well is creating clones
order of jacob's well
Melanie —
More good stuff :)
I Googled Nut briefly on your suggestion. I'll add to your comments that Nut gave birth to 5 gods during the 5 epagomenal days (the days added to the Egyptian calendar to make a year roughly match one revolution around the sun). Maybe the notion of special days of birth ties in with the birth problems -- though, I think a problem with Jughead is a more likely explanation.
Perhaps Locke's eye's don't tie in directly with Horus but are nevertheless inspired by his eyes.
Synchromystic Librarian —
Cool name and cooler site!
I wonder if they intentionally throw in look-alikes to harp on the theme. Of course, it's quite possible that there are twins, though of different ages, because of time-travel.
Mike
Mike,
Kain067 has this brilliant post about the stones being eternal if A & E are Jack and Kate.
http://forum.lostpedia.com/showthread.php?t=24845
J
J —
Thanks. That IS brilliant!
Well, it works for me because I'm into the eternal light/dark thing.
I think his idea still works if the stones are passed from Jack to someone else. But of all the possible A&E pairings, that one would seem to be the most elegant. But then let's see if R&B show up...
Mike
Mike - I'm one of those people who read this during Season 4 and I thought it was extremely good but I just refused to believe the island was always moving.
Well, now this is the only theory that still fits the facts. Color me impressed. :-)
RH
RH —
Thanks. Though it was a lucky call, and this thing required serious revisions.
Cheers,
Mike
Hi Mike!
Totally enjoyed reading this. Whether it's right or wrong, I think you make a very solid case. Btw, keep an eye on the Jacob rumors. You might need to revise some of that.
Anyway why do you think Ben said that he can't kill Widmore? It seems like Widmore is no longer the leader. So what keeps him alive?
Cheers!
AR
AR —
Thanks.
Yeah, I saw that rumor. I'm excited to see what comes of it. Is he a "ghost" like Christian? The particulars will drive if and how I'll have to revise that part. Right now, that part is designed to be as consistent as possible with the theory (and evidence), but it's, of course, highly speculative, as we know so little.
Re Ben claiming he can't kill Charles:
For what it's worth, I'd guess that (a) Ben saw a future with Charles in a "dream," or (b) Charles will time-travel to the past, and Ben remembers time-traveling Charles.
It's peculiar, though, that Charles seemed to think his life was at risk. Maybe Charles doesn't understand the idea of "whatever happened, happened," or maybe Ben alone had a precognition.
There's a parallel in there regarding Hawking and Desmond, and why she knows his destiny with the island is incomplete.
Either Hawking encountered time-traveling Desmond in her past and he shared his history with her, or she's been having a lot of precognitions herself.
I wouldn't be surprised to see her get zapped like Desmond during the Incident. (People have suspected that for a long time.)
Mike
Mike,
I'd say your idea about Jacob being a psychic on earth is looking good.
Don't want to give too much away!
AR
AR —
LOL. I've been a bit schizophrenic when it comes to Jacob. The psychic on Earth thing is the original idea, and I still have it awkwardly slipped into one of the paragraphs.
Still, we'll have to wait to see which story is the most coherent... I always hope for plot twists that somehow fit an overall narrative, but in the end, the writers don't seem too concerned about adding complication upon complication. But twists are fun, so, who cares, I guess.
Mike
This is great stuff!
The fact that so many things happen on the equinox really intrigues me! I think your probably right about the portals since they were so pressed for time with Juliet.
L
Mike, I don't know if you noticed, but Ben was shot on his left side but this week the wound was on his right side. Sloppy work or intentional clue?
L —
Thanks. Yeah, whatever the actual explanation beyond the show, the equinox thing seems intentional.
Anonymous —
LOL. I missed that. Thanks. I like to think big mistakes like that aren't mistakes. Though, of course, we can never be totally sure except when they admit them.
Mike
I'm new here, but for what it's worth....Mikhail is missing his right eye. He works for Ben, is one bad guy! He seemed, at least for a while, indestructible.
Could there be something suggestive here?
Anonymous —
Hi there.
I suppose he was either just a badass or his apparent indestructibility was more supernatural. Do you think Mikhail may have taken a trip to the Temple?
There's also the potential connection between Mikhail having one eye and the Foot's description of Miros, the fictional mirror matter world (where people happen to have only one eye). There's more on this buried above somewhere -- maybe chapter 3, section 4, paragraph 28 ;)
Mike
future episode titles indicate we need to study up on Thoth
I got an idea as I was reading through your comments here. Perhaps the coming war is between the counterparts of the mirrored worlds (i.e. a Jack from the light world vs. a Jack from the dark world)...
Synchromystic Librarian —
I do like Thoth. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth
My impression is that I saw "Hoth," which is a frozen world in Star Wars.
The Mighty Musnud —
That would be cool. To clarify though, I don't think the two worlds are mirrors of each other -- the mirroring is just on the scale of the particles. No mirror Jack, no mirror Earth, etc. To quote Foot, "microscopic symmetry of particle interactions does not translate into a macroscopic symmetry."
That's not to say I don't like the idea. I do.
And perhaps using it would improve the theory. :)
Mike
I just read this on Dark UFO which is apparently a quote from Michael Emmerson re the Smoke Monster
Remember what Michael Emerson told us about Smokey? "I think it all has something to do with metallic dust. I think the smoke monster is connected to that ring of powder that surrounds Jacob's cabin. They've established that there are supermagnetic forces at work on the Island, so what better medium for those forces to work through than through fine filings of metal."
It never occured to me that the smoke could actually be metal shavings or related to what looked like ash surrounding Jacob's cabin but it sounds promising - just thought I would share :D
H E —
Howdy. Thanks man. I've actually heard such speculation before. The monster being composed of metal particles... sure I'll bite. Magnetite dust sounds the best to me.
Not sure about the ring of ash, though.
Lucky for me, the episode airing in the US this evening promises to reveal at least the Others' interpretation of the monster. That's been a long time coming... :)
Cheers,
Mike
ah hoth = frozen world, i know nadda about star wars but sounds like it would make more sense than thoth, oh well
SL —
I know little about Hoth as well. I do think you were right about Thoth being potentially relevant.
Mike
Lyndsey on DarkUFO posted a great list of connections to Alice in Wonderland here
http://darkufo.blogspot.com/2009/04/lost-with-lyndseyfinding-wonderland.html
Thought you or your readers might want to take a look.
Mike - Rumor on the finale that plays into your speculation
http://lostrumours.blogspot.com/2009/04/major-rumours-from-finale.html
Also could there be any more inversions/reversals this season? I mean, it's crazy!
So a leader of the science side is born on the island. Do you think the island wanted Alex killed because she was not supposed to become a leader of the science side?
Anonymous (1) —
Thanks. Great compilation indeed by Lindsey.
Anonymous (2) —
Thanks. I just read that. Apparently, it's just a rumor -- but, frankly, it doesn't seem TOO far-fetched.
Yes, many many reversals. It's hard to ignore them.
Anonymous (3) —
Very cool speculation. Assuming that highly-speculative part of the theory is correct, your explanation would fit perfectly. :)
Now, let me go flush this toilet and feed Ammit a piece of a sinner's soul...
Mike
You totally called Ammit like 2 months ago. Awesome!
So are you saying the whole show is based on yin/yang?
Anonymous (1) —
Thanks. Though I was probably far from the first to venture in that direction.
Anonymous (2) —
Yes! Very much so. I think of it as an Ode to Duality, realized on every level they can include. Mirror matter would just be a way to play on it on a concrete, physical level.
Mike
I must say I'm very impressed at how successful this theory has been at revealing the patterns in the show. I can totally see Lost as the "Ode to Duality" as you call it.
With this theory in mind the show makes sense. Without it I'm Lost ;-).
Bravo on keeping ahead of the show.
Brian T.
Brian —
Thanks. Appreciated.
Mike
Mike -
Been plugging you on Fused Film when we have Lost conversations. I have totally subscribed 100% to your theory and I am trying to spread the word as much as I can.
Anyway I wanted to bring something up that you might find interesting. A friend of mine has proposed the idea that Jack's grandfather is actually Jack - he is his own grandfather.
His reasoning was interesting...why would Jack at that particular moment get a phone call that his grandfather wondered off out of the nursing home unless it was really Jack knowing exactly what was going on at that time with himself, also he had his father's shoes there almost waiting for him.
Kate is almost certainly pregnant with his kid and I would almost venture to guess Jack names it Christian. Christian gives birth to a son named Jack, see the cycle I am creating here?
anyway I haven't heard many people mention that thought you might want to way in on it.
Take Care,
Kevin Coll
Fused Film
www.fusedfilm.com
Kevin —
Nice to hear from you! I hope Fused Film is doing well.
Fascinating idea about Jack being his own grandfather.
I've heard a similar idea about Charlie Hume being Charles Widmore.
Either would certainly give new, albeit creepy, meaning to the original title, "The Circle."
Assuming Kate is pregnant, I'd guess the Christian bit would be a Season 6 reveal...
Mike
Mike, I guess it's obvious but wouldn't that be a rising *dark* sun?
Mark
you'll have to explain the Charlie Hume being Charles Widmore theory...I'd like to hear that.
That would make some real serious Greek tragedy stuff going on.
Mark —
Good call! I'm a little reluctant to go there though simply because the "foreground" on the logos is usually black.
Kevin —
I guess Des and Penny time-travel with Charlie to maybe 1940, then, ya know, they die in the cave or something :)
Strange... but not too strange for Lost...
I'm guessing that when miles was asked "Do you know what lies in the shadow of the giant?" The giant he was speaking of was the Earth.
Anonymous —
I think it was "statue." But I think your idea is nevertheless clever. The idea would fit perfectly.
Mike
Hi again!
Maybe part of the cycle thing with Jack - but I'm pretty sure there is a body in the Dharma skeleton pit named Jack-Workman.
Maybe Jack dies in the purge?
Also, I think Daniel convinces Miles' dad about the upcoming horrors for Dharma and that's why he kicked his wife and son (Miles as a baby) off the island without explanation.
Melanie —
Hi.
I like to think Jack will make it back to the future (with everyone reunited in present time for the final season). But, what you say is totally plausible. :)
I bet you're right on the mark re Miles! In fact, I think Ilana and her buddies were booted at the same time.
Mike
Another mirror tidbit - When the losties are with Eloise at the Lampost, there is a board showing longitude and latitude. Only - the longitude and latitude are BACKWARDS :) See this screencap:
http://getlostpodcast.iimmgg.com/image/c5b7f9fd19398af42c7bfa09b3689a73
In other words, in OUR world, Latitude doesn't exceed 90 degrees - 90 degrees is the SOUTH POLE. Yet we see on the screenshot that these are definitely posted BACKWARDS...the coordinates on the left side are, in our world, Latitude and the ones on the right are Longitude.
----Jeanne
Jeanne —
Excellent catch!
I was staring right at that and it never clicked... Shameful...
These questionably accidental reversals certainly seem to occur a lot. The question is whether we notice them because the pattern is intentional, or, there appears to be a pattern simply because we're looking for them.
Mike
I've recently seen someone speculate that one of the bodies in the mass Dharma grave that looked like it'd been shot in the head was the character whose filling shot out through his head due to the Swan station magnetism, but the wound was in the wrong side of the head...
This could be another piece of evidence :)
Chris.
This is a wonderful theory!
You seem to be very openminded. If you don't mind me asking what other theories do you think are contenders?
L
Chris —
Thanks. Sounds cool. By any chance was there a screenshot floating around?
L —
Thanks. One theory I think is a particularly strong contender is where the island is itself a ship from the distant future. I've rambled a bit about it myself, but I think Tramp has the best (and possibly earliest) take on it. Link to Tramp's "Timeship."
Mike
Screenshots on the recap by Erika on Dark UFO's website:
http://darkufo.blogspot.com/2009/04/some-like-it-hoth-recap-and-analysis-by.html
Chris.
Chris —
Excellent, thanks! Well, the holes are definitely in the correct position for some mirroring action. I guess the clincher for me would be if we learn that they did in fact place his body in the grave.
Mike
CHeck this out, another Alice reference
http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/2009/05/episode-5x14-rabbit-through-glass.html
Anonymous —
That's very cool! Thanks.
I'm not 100% sure it's not just a coincidence, but it certainly looks like a rabbit.
Mike
What do you think Jacob is up to? Is he a time-traveling Aaron?
Anonymous —
The Jacob parts will surely need updating soon. I just don't want to spoil anyone by making the revisions now. So forgive me for holding off on a reply.
Mike
Do you think that the mirror worlds can, at any time and in any way, converge? Could this make Jack his own grandfather, etc? Is this why jacob cries "help me"? He is on a cosmic merry-go-round and wants to get off?
Hey Mike, What do you think of a time loop? - Anne
Anonymous —
The mirroring thing is really just about the particles, so in my take on it, there aren't really mirror "worlds" (except for world in the usual sense, as in a planet, like the island in this case).
That is to say, left- and right-handed matter are already about as converged as they could be, because they're part of the same universe. (Sorry, I know that could be clearer.) The island is special here because it lets you cross between the sides.
Great metaphor. For me, if Jacob is stuck on a merry-go-round, it's because, if he's a ghost, he has unfinished business.
Anne —
I think there is a causal loop. But I don't think there's much hope any more for a grand loop where time literally loops back on itself. (Closed time-like curves, yes; repetitive time loops, no.)
Mike
Have you already seen this documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMZVPWQrLNU
Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives.
Melanie —
Haven't seen it. I'll take a look, thanks!
Mike
I don't know if anyone else noticed, but in the episode Follow the Leader when everyone swims through the tunnel to where the bomb is, their shirts overtly change color from white to black, I think with the exception of Richard.
This seems to be very intentional with perhaps a switch occurring to the mirror world as they enter the tunnels.
Love to hear your thoughts.
-Zak
Zak —
Thanks! I just took a look. I hate to say it, but I think the undershirts (at least) stay the same color. Jack's, however, does become darker -- though it may just be because it's wet.
But please steer me in the right direction if I've misread what you're suggesting. That would be very cool indeed.
Mike
Excuse the French -
This is fucking brilliant!
Scott
You got to check this out -
http://forum.lostpedia.com/mobius-strip-t26565.html
That epic shot when Jack runs to the beach in the 1st ep... The camera starts on his left, swings 180 and then magically switches to his right. Check it out!
-Matt
Scott —
That's fucking appreciated. :) (What is "fuck" in French anyway?)
Matt —
Wow! Amazing observation! Thanks to you, Overlord on LP, and primarily J. Wood, of course.
Anyone interested can scroll down on J. Wood's blog post to see the shot:
http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=4542
Mike
Mike,
Here's to Mirror Matter making a comeback in S5 finale. Couple observations for which you should be patting yourself on the back: What Lies in the Shadow question--perhaps a referrence to your comment on the writers paying homage to Foote's book "Shadowlands" and Brams comment on Widmore being on the wrong side implying Bram is the right side--literally the right handed side that represents mirror matter. I think you have dismissed mirror matter as a sort of parallel universe, but I still think this could be where they are taking us with the Island being the window where the two "worlds" converge.
Cheers,
Mirror Matter Disciple aka Overlord on LP--thanks for the shoutout.
MMD —
LOL. Small world indeed. :)
There's certainly no shortage of talk about sides. Widmore said something similar about Locke not being on the wrong side (needing to go back to the island to be, by similar logic, on the "right" side).
http://www.thehansofoundation.org/
Hanso rambling on about shadows...
I do think the two worlds would converge at the island. It's in the degree to which the sides are parallel that is the source of the complication. So much fits with direct inspiration from Foot's book. If TPTB do try to import the mirror matter idea directly, then the two sides are better understood as overlapping sectors of the same universe than parallel universes.
Then again, Fringe seems to be going explicitly for a theme of two or more parallel universes (sides) in conflict.
Frankly, I love both approaches. I don't know if the presence of the idea in Fringe hurts or supports the presence of a similar idea behind Lost.
Cheers!
Mike
I think the losties will be stuck in 1977 and are in their 60's in 2007/2008. I believe that next season we will see flashbacks of theirs from 1977-2004 which will show them influencing themselves and other past characters onto flight 815. This will help explain the character connections
JLC —
That would be extremely cool. :)
There was a rumor of an old Jin walking out of the temple in 2007 -- though I think it was just that.
Mike
Hi Mike,
Have followed & admired your theories.
So the season finale has Jacob in a white shirt, and his nemesis in a black shirt. Looking for a loophole. Summoning the Black Rock to the island.
Ilana's right eye opens under her bandages; Jacob is in black visiting her hospital bed.
And what does Juliet use to detonate the bomb? A black rock! ~ JennyA
Hi Mike
A few thoughts. Jacob was aware Ben and Locke would be coming, he was waiting and not surprised at all. I think he also knew exactly how Ben would react after saying "what about you?" as Ben has been a pawn throughout his life on the island. In this way, Ben killing Jacob allowed Jacob's rebirth. The same way the story of Jesus shows he knew he was about to be betrayed and killed, in order to be resurrected.
Jacob's upcoming rebirth was symbolized when Locke kicked him into the fire like the story of the Phoenix. The fire rebirth of the Phoenix shows the cycling death every 500 to 1000 years.
This part needs work, but somehow there's something here...I think somehow Aaron is the rebirth of Jacob; and somehow good Locke actually died when the plane crashed. This would explain why 'bad' or loophole Locke could walk again and knew how to get around and survive on the island (loophole).
I also think Ben will not make it out of Jacob's room alive, Locke will kill him now that he's finished with him.
Also, these events tie into Claire's dream about Locke's eye's being both black and white (various Locke's); his backgammon comments with Walt, the symbolism of Hurley, Claire and Aaron in that weird dream sequence where they were on the beach and a Dove flew by.
Last, the representation of the Egyptian goddess with outstretched arms/feathers was Isis. (Story of rebirth of Osiris).
Dove being killed was an omen of Jacob's pending death. The book cover was visible when Jacob was with Locke after falling out of the window.
:)
Thanks, Melanie
JennyA —
Hi, thanks!
You know I was so enthralled by the scene with Jacob and Esua(?) that I missed the color of the other guy's shirt. Ditto for the rock, Ilana's eye, ... actually all of it. LOL
Thanks. I'll be sure to check out some screen caps of what you mention.
Of course, for me now the question is whether the dark/light stuff is based on the Esua/Jacob conflict -- or vice-versa.
Cheers,
Mike
Melanie —
I'm glad to hear your arguments for Jacob's continued existence. Frankly, if that was the end of him (and his side of the board, so to speak), it would stink.
Aaron's birth and survival has definitely been a big part of the main plot. It'd be cool if right as Jacob is burning, Aaron suddenly "injected" with Jacob's spirit.
Someone needs to battle Locke/Esau... Why not the Shephards... :)
Mike
Mike!
I am a long-time fan of your blog & amazing thesis-quality theories (whenever I make a new "LOST friend," I ask if they've been to your site) & I contacted you a long time ago about my theory, as it were, about the Omega Point and that "everything that rises must converge" which I wrote on here:
http://forum.thefuselage.com/showthread.php?t=93526
I just wanted to say I think I now have a teeny-tiny micro-version of the sense you probably often get of "yes, I was right, I called that!" Eeeeeee! Congrats on seeing many of your theories come to light... I think we'll get to the point where audiences in the know will think, "oh, as predicted on mirrormattermoon.blogspot.com"
Keep up the good work, and enjoy the break till the final season!
Eric ("Superdeformed")
mmmm did you notice the fish jacob was gutting in the first scene? A red herring.....
Eric —
Thanks.
Yes! I recall that.
Very insightful of you!
I think we've got very solid confirmation of the repetition/convergence that you suspected.
I hope you'll post more.
Anonymous —
LOL. No, but that's hysterical. Do you think it's referring to Jacob and Esau(?)?
Mike
Perhaps this issue has already been addressed here or on other forums, but I'm curious about your take on these seemingly looped or bound together pairs.
On the beach, Jacob and 'Esau' have a similar conversation similar to that of Ben and Widmore, in Widmore's bedroom, about not being able to kill one another. I've tried to but cannot think of another example of this type of 'dependency,' but more might surface. I have a feeling one cannot or does not survive long without the other.
Any thoughts? How do you explain the relationships of these pairs?
Thanks.
Kb
Kb —
That's a great parallel you draw between the confrontation in Widmore's bedroom and the apparent twins on the beach.
I can explain the "dependency" through the lens of this theory by saying that the dependency you describe nicely captures the idea of duality/yin-yang.
It's just as (arguably) you can't have light without dark, good without evil, etc. One can't exist without the other. The upper-hand forever shifts between the two.
The premise here is that the whole show is paying homage to this kind of duality:
* Mirror matter was chosen because the argument is that left-handed matter can't exist without its right-handed compliment.
* The bagua was chosen for the DHARMA symbol because it is directly based on the yin-yang relationship.
* jacob and "Esau" might have been chosen because they are twins locked in very yin-yang power struggle.
* And they keep harping on light/dark, left/right, two sides, etc., because those again amplify the premise of duality.
How's that for a mini-dissertation? :) LOL
I'd be happy to go on. What you bring up gets at the heart of my Lost thinking.
Mike
Mike-
I've loved reading your insights this season! The big question I'd love to hear your take on (especially from a mirror matter perspective) is why the show is entitled "Lost". In your theory, everything is essentially balanced. The word 'lost' doesn't exactly communicate that. What's your take on why the show has the title it has?
Just curious! Thanks for your insights!
Matt
Matt —
Thanks.
The story goes that it was originally called "The Circle."
I don't know if the plot was in place at the time, but that title WOULD seem to fit the yin-yang conflict thing (whether mirror matter is involved or not).
I also like the idea that it's the island that's lost, not the characters.
But I think the most realistic answer is that "Lost" divulges nothing and perfectly describes the state of the characters when they're NOT on the island. So at least there's irony in the title.
So, yeah, I don't see an overt connection either; but I don't think there needs to be one. In hindsight, "The Circle" might have given away too much, as it suggests a cycle.
Cheers,
Mike
Hi Mike, Matt et. al.,
Did you notice when Jacob approached Sayid & Nadia w/a map, Jacob said he was...lost? A deliberate word choice.
As an addendum to my earlier post, pretty sure Jacob is wearing black in all his off-island encounters, not just Ilana's. (Brown shirt w/Sayid, need to watch it again to catch the pants color!)
Also Juliet was the only one not touched by Jacob in the flashbacks; she became the free will variable, yet she was dragged by literal chains into the vortex. Curious then that she used a Black Rock to detonate the bomb.
Kudos for your excellent theorizing! One more season!
~ JennyA.
Jenny —
Thanks again. I think all of your earlier observations have born out from the screen caps I've seen. I'll need to watch the episode again tonight.
Good call on Juliet being the exception.
Mike
And we can't overlook possibly the biggest clue of all, in every previous episode it has white letters on a black background, but in the Season 5 finale it ends with _black_ letters on a _white_ background. I don't think that only signifies the explosion.
Ben —
Nice timing! I think we're on the same wavelength.
Reload the page.
Pretty fitting that Jacob lives beneath the Foot.
Dude!
Yet another prediction you nailed (well aside from pretty all of the 1970s stuff LOL!) -
That there is this endless string of battles between the two sides. Keeps going back and forth.
Nice!
Peter
Anonymous —
LOL. Perhaps, yes... if it really is paying homage to Foot.
Peter —
Thanks. If you look back, you'll see plenty of wrong predictions too...
Mike....do you think that perhaps the LOST title changing from black/white type to white/black type not only symbolizes the explosion, but perhaps a change of power on the island?
Sorry... I pushed return before I was finished...I also thought the episode hearkened back to when Richard went to visit Locke on the island and there was a picture of a smoke creature (monster) sort of overtaking a person....forshadowing of Locke?
And when tested by Richard, young Locke picks the knife....not the compass, leaving Richard doubting Lockes "special-ness".....yet in the end it is a knife
"Locke" hands to Ben, his loophole, that will kill Jacob....
whimsymoon —
Hi, yeah, that's exactly what I think about the logo inversion. And I suspect Ben (above you) agrees.
Ooh. That's good about knife! :)
It seems "Esau" has been playing John, Ben, and Richard for long, long time.
It's a shame Richard's instincts never really asserted themselves.
Mike
Still rockin' strong after all this time Mike!!
I'll be stopping by during the hiatus. I want to see how deeply you weave in Jacob and Esau.
Mark
light jacob vs dark jacob muse on the meaning of life on the beach while watching the black rocks
locke in a box from planet sirius = osiris in a box from planet claire (we know (s)he came from there)
Too many roles have been inverted to count!
Sayid - interrogator to interrogated
Jack - man of science to man of faith
Kate - running away to searching for Claire
Ben - manipulator to manipulated
Sawyer - selfish to selfless
-Martha
I love this!
S1 is about how two sides must coexist or parish
S2 is about the duality of science and faith
S3 is about the duality of the opposing factions
S4 is about the duality of fate and freewill
S5 is about the mythical duality of Jacob and Esau
S6 will show duality permeates the show including the island versus Earth. It will once agian be about how the two sides must coexist or parish.
Jason
Mike you're officially psychic. First with the island moving, which was HUGE. Now with the cyclical light/dark conflict.
Oh, I'll be back baby!!!
lol ;-) ~Melinda
"Good call on Juliet being the exception."
We know Desmond is special when he blows up the pocket of energy using the fail safe key. Perhaps Juliet also becomes special when she essentially does the same thing by blowing up the pocket of energy with Jughead?
Also, perhaps the dream of Locke with the black and white eyes was foreshadowing the final season. Its possible Jacob will use Locke's body for rebirth and we'll see Good Locke vs. Bad Locke
Mark —
Thanks. Yeah, plenty of time to meditate on how far to work the players in. They are probably at the heart of it.
Synchro —
Your site is a blast!
It's like an expansive synopsis but the commentary is in the choice of images.
Is there an overt connection between 864 and the Osiris/Set feud?
Martha —
Definitely intentional, right? Nice list.
Jason —
Sounds great to me :) I suppose the pivotal one is #6...
Melinda —
Thanks. See you in the future.
Abdul-Haseeb —
Yeah, I think your logic there is sound. I wonder though if there's room for two "Desmonds." I can't wait to find out.
I love it — black and white in the same person. So the backgammon comments probably refer to Jacob and "Esau," and the eyes allude to Locke being split in half and battling himself, so to speak. Sounds great.
Mike
Abdul-Haseeb & Mike
EXCELLENT idea, jacob will now inhabit locke's (jeremy bentham) body for a locke vs locke showdown
'm going with they are BOTH jacob calling them light jacob & dark jacob as symbols for free will vs fate, faith vs science, lucifer vs satan, good vs evil, yadda yadda yadda
the key is in the balance as in the marriage of heaven and hell to become enlightened
Synchro —
I can totally buy the two aspects of Jacob notion. :)
It is pretty cool that, as you hint, the light one seems to embody one side of each of those dualities: free will, faith, God(?), good.
Well, you know, until the middle of S6, when they make us think the dark one is the hero. ;)
Mike
Now aren't yo glad you spent all that effort framing it as an endless war between light and dark.
jacob fits the mirror duality thing like a glove.
- steve
Mike, one of my biggest questions from the finale is if it was the Black Rock that Jacob and "Esau" saw as they stared out at the sea, how in the world did it end up in the middle of the island? I had previously thought that a wheel turn by someone caused the island to "pick it up" while sailing but I'm not so sure now.
oh, i left 1 important thing
light jacob (1 continuous timeline with 1 end but progressing along the way) vs dark jacob (cycles of multiple time loops never getting it right)
"The number 864 is the value of 'cornerstone'... meaning the topstone of the [Great] Pyramid. That topstone, which was never placed, not only represents Jesus Christ, but it also represents the sun [Ra], from which flows light and life. Life bears the number 864. The dwelling place to which Lucifer aspired, 'the sides of the north', bears the number 864, as does 'Holy of holies', the compartment in the Tabernacle and in Ezekiel's temple that represents God's dwelling place."
Mike,
I have been keeping up with your theory since 07. Honestly I don't see how it can be anything but what you have put on the page now.
Jacob/Esau was def a curve ball but it goes perfectly with the conflict you predicted so it's not really a problem. Maybe it makes it better.
Cheers,
Marcus
Mike,
Been keeping up with your theory since January 2008 and everyone Lostie that I meet I instantly give them your blog :)
I can't see how the foundation of your theory could be wrong! It's as if the writers are referencing you, instead of the other way round.
Thanks for the intrigue!
Steve —
Thanks. We'll have to see how far the light/dark thing goes.
Ryan —
Yeah, plus it has that big gash in the side and dead slaves inside. I guess there's still room for a tsunami. :)
Perhaps they'll combine the story of the ship with Alpert and Magnus. It seems they have to connect Alvar/DHARMA with the ship at some point. Jacob saves Richard, and Magnus builds the wheel and turns it?
Synchro —
I like it, though I'd personally leave out the time loops — and have him accompany Jacob in the cycle of events.
Wow! So 864 really is special. It's also the spot where the pyramid converges :)
Marcus —
Thanks. I had plenty wrong in 07. But I'm a little more optimistic with the apparent dark/light twin thing coming to the foreground. We'll see.
Amber —
Thanks, and I'm glad you've gleaned some pleasure from my occasional rambling. Chime in whenever the mood strikes you.
Mike
Put me down as another long time reader.
Now that the show is being blatant about the duality it would be a shame if the island isn't made of mirror dark matter.
When I saw the two "demigods" in black and white it was like uhuh no surprise there. Then they were like this fight keeps occurring over and over between this dark and light side and was like click click click lock... Then I was thinking I can't believe I read about the answer to Lost like a year and a half ago.
Props man props!!
Justin H.
Justin —
Thanks. Appreciate your enthusiasm.
Mike
everyone's observations are fantastic. long been a fan of mike's theory and it seems to be playing out in many ways (though not as i would have thought a year ago)
while watching the s5 finale i was struck with this weird deja vu feeling. and it just hit me why all of this seems so familiar. another show that i love (cancelled far too soon, for it too had a specific set of seasons to cover the story..6 i THINK...could be wrong) CARNIVALE explored very similar themes. light / dark, duality, war, maybe its just me. anyone else see some connection?
as thrilling as the finale is and as much as i'm dying to get to season 6...i sure will hate to see it go. also thrilling and a bit troubling is the big switch up they did with locke...total wtf moment. and what does this all mean for 'dead' christian shepherd?
lackthrow —
Thanks. That's an awesome parallel in Carnivale.
Light/dark duality, good/evil ambiguity... very nice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivàle
As for Shepherd — He was instrumental in getting Aaron off the island, which for me means he's probably supporting the anti-Jacob crowd. So, for me, "Esau" for the most part. But well, who knows for sure of course...
Mike
You think Penny & Desmond as the original Adam & Eve as opposed to Rose & Bernarnd? I thought the "Retirement" scene almost guaranteed it to be them.
Anonymous —
R&B are still near the top of the list. I expect the bomb triggered a flash and so I could easily see them end up in the 1950s, help lowering the bomb, and be laid to rest by the others. Totally plausible, maybe even probable.
But I still think Eloise has seen Desmond in the past, which of course suggests time-travel, maybe by an odd bearing. And Eloise said, "pushing that button is the only truly great thing that you will ever do." Was she just trying to be manipulative, knowing the importance of the button? Or maybe she saw him die...?
So R&B, yes, but I think D&P are more compelling.
Cheers,
Mike
Mike! Happiness is a shout-out on MMM . I feel beknighted in the LOSTverse. Cheers! :) JennyA (Not Not in Portland, as I live here!)
I LIKE IT!
More than just Jacob and 'Esau' the show is about light vs dark. Yes sir! I like it, it's like everything in Lost including the island is about it. Very nice!
VEH
Jenny —
Really? :) Glad to make you happy.
VEH —
Yup, you've nailed the hear of it. Thanks!
Mike
Mike,
I've been a long time reader too like a few of the recent commenters. Since they've flat out given us the light-dark conflict I think the broad strokes are in place to deliver the mirror-dark matter revelation. Like you keep saying--who knows--but it does look better than ever. I hope you add some more material before next season. It's a longggggg ways out!
Peace,
Matthew
Matthew —
Thanks. It's nice to hear from you guys. I agree about the broad strokes being in place, though I still think the whole idea of a drifting dark matter companion to Earth is pretty out there. :) Obviously I still have hope, or else I would've folded up the tent. I'm not sure how much will come to mind before S6. Any ideas for that table I just began?
Cheers,
Mike
Mike, What do you think of Darlton's comment that they had a much longer story for Eko? I saw him as maybe a competitor with Locke. Maybe it relates to the black and white thing like Rose and Bernard seem to do? Maybe they don't get along but Rose and Bernard do?
~Julie
Mike -
I absolutely love this theory!! The best part for me is all the little 'hooks'. Like you say how al of these haphazard arrivals to the island happen on the equinox. Then there's all of those mirror reflections of the world on the 'other side' in the posters. All that stuff is like a lot of icing on the cake. Then the fake plane and the mirrors and Hurley and on and on. BTW I like your list on the bottom.
Craig
New to your theory so I am sorry if I'm repeating something that has been thought of. The statue where Jacob lives, is of a Taweret:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taweret
If you read this description, it describes how "Her name means (one) who is great. When paired with another deity, she became the demon-wife of Apep, the original god of evil." This seems to parallel the good vs. evil concepts of Jacob vs. Esau. But it also seems to confirm the good vs. evil that each character faces within themselves and their journey. Interesting also that it has discussions about night vs day, horizon, etc. Also it talks about "Taweret became seen, very early in Egyptian history, as a deity of protection in pregnancy and childbirth", obviously an ongoing theme in the show. I do think these concepts all fit well into your theory.
As a second question. If you go back to the episode where Desmond ends up in the hospital, Hawking seems to imply that she is somewhat unconfortable with what has happened as she did not expect it. Do you think this simply means this is as far as her knowledge of her future goes, or does this imply her future has changed, perhaps because the Losties HAVE somewhat changed the future? I also believe Desmond was Faraday's constant, which might have some bearing on the story or her concern.
Juice
I also wanted to add that I agree with JennyA's point. In a show where everything means something, it must mean something that Juliet was the only one who did not meet Jacob in her flashback.
Although that could simply mean there is more to the flashback than what we've seen (perhaps what happens next in the flashback). Or it could simply may have been there to add context to her love triangle with Sawyer and Kate and why she knows he still loves Kate.
Perhaps, as JennyA points out she is the free will variable. She was not brought to the island by Jacob but rather as part of the others. Yet she has switched sides to the Losties. Perhaps its because she is a variable that she is able to detonate the bomb where the Losties failed to do so (perhaps doomed to fail as they could not change their future, while she could).
Juice
Julie —
Yeah, that would've been a great contrast between the two options: conflict or peace. I guess we'll never know... :(
Craig —
Thanks. Appreciated. And thanks for the input.
Juice —
Good stuff :) I think the Taweret connection has been well-aired, but you do bring up interesting information. As you mention, at first she was associated with evil. Later, though, she was seen more as a protector, a force of good. Perhaps that sort of "duality" is intentional, as you suggest.
Regarding Hawking: I think her "foreknowledge" is probably limited to her communication and involvement with time-travelers in her past and what was in Dan's journal. I think she was shocked about Desmond and otherwise uncertain because what she learned about the future did NOT include anything about Desmond or anyone else beyond the Swan stuff.
Interesting idea about the constant! If Desmond really was Dan's constant, perhaps Des will need to time-travel back for that purpose.
I think I agree with Juliet's flashback just showing context. She was pivotal in the incident, but she wasn't touched. That's a very cool idea that she might've been able to actually change things because she was "free" of Jacob's touch. Guess we'll just have to wait on that one... :(
Mike
Stunning! I dare say this is the only theory of Lost that makes sense at the moment.
Martin C.
Hi again Mike,
Compelled to say you should add to your main page that Jacob is wearing dark colors off-island, which completely fits your theory. (White on-island, dark off.)
P.S. Yes, really! :) You inspired me to finally create a rough-draft web page of my own musings (not a blog though). Not coherent yet, but I'll work on it.
Thanks again for the insight. You rock.~JennyA
Thats so cool about the equinoxes. They had to intentionally choose 9/23/54 for the army pic. Also makes sense about the rush with Juliet. The Black Rock left England March 22, 1845, around the equinox. Could that scene with Jacob and 'Esau' be from the next fall equinox?
-Brian
Also...Jack calls the freighter on the solstice!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice
-Brian
What are your thoughts about LOST being about the Egyptian belief of "eternal return"?
Martin C. —
Thanks. I don't quite agree, but the compliment is very much appreciated. :)
Jenny —
Hi. Yeah, there was indeed some very dark clothing... But weren't there a few instances where he's wearing lighter clothes (maybe with Kate or Hurley)? I can't quite remember. Correct me if I'm wrong — as I think it would make a very cool statement. :)
Be sure to share your theory page when your comfortable enough with it! I'd love to see it.
Brian —
Would that trip take 6 months? Being able to pin that conversation between Jacob and "Esau" to that exact day and year would be very cool.
That's an awesome catch about the solstice. I mean it's not just the pivotal turning point in the plot but it's also the midpoint of the series. I guess one of the sides could have been at the height of it's power, in a sense — depending on who's associated with the sun (light/Jacob?) and whether the island was in the northern or southern hemisphere.
Anonymous —
Inasmuch as LOST is about cycles and balance, yeah, it would definitely be very related. In fact, I think that would be a great potential aspect of the Jacob/'Esau" cycle to explore further. Thanks. :)
Cheers,
Mike
Great read!
THe best part about this IMO is that there so many layers to get the point about yin yang. Like there is the Jacob/Esau layer, the science/faith layer, the freewill/determinism layer, the Dharma/Others layer, the light/dark layer. Mirror matter just fits in there but even if you don't get it or they don't really explain it it doesn't matter because everything says the same thing.
Bret
Hi Mike,
You're right, Jacob is not entirely in dark clothing off-island; some scenes he's in light shirt, dark jacket, etc. I think only the Ilana hospital scene has Jacob all in black. But still, thematically, it fits, the dark clothing seems a deliberate costume choice.
I am still mulling why we only see Ilana's right eye peeking out from the bandages, when Jacob asks for her help. Just as the show opened with Jack's right eye...what does this mean? It has to mean something; why bother to bandage a character's face that way, in such a significant scene? She is the only character who Jacob directly asks for help. Because as we now know, when we heard 'help me' at the cabin, it was most likely Jacob's Nemesis.
~JennyA
Psst: if you mouse over my blue name, hotlink to my random finale musings. Alas, still not well organized, but it's Out There. :)
Bret —
Thanks. You've kind of tapped into my current thinking re: the layering of the concept. You might Google 'robustness' and 'graceful degradation'. Like you say, because of redundancy, the message should get through to the audience even if some layers don't.
Jenny —
Nice commentary! You got me thinking more about Nemesis' reach. The freighter's arrival definitely set the wheel-turning/expulsion in motion. And that certainly seemed to benefit Nemesis. So perhaps your speculation about Widmore siding with Nemesis is right on.
Maybe the exposed right eye alludes to a strong connection between Jack and Ilana that we have yet to see.
Mike
I love it, NOW everyone is into duality and yin-yang. LMAO! I wonder how many people were silently "inspired" by your blog. See you in 6 months or whatever.
-Matt
Matt —
Thanks. Though, I certainly don't own the duality/yin-yang thing. I might be a proponent of it, but it's been in the show from the get go.
Cheers,
Mike
DUDE!
It appears that Ji Yeon is lefthanded and Aaron is righthanded. Check it out.
Hey Mike,
I was just reading your response to my post and something else just clicked in my head. In reference to the Taweret (statue) you said:
"...at first she was associated with evil. Later, though, she was seen more as a protector, a force of good."
Could this not also describe Juliet (first we saw her as evil with the Others, by the end a protector figure with the castaways)? In fact, as the Tawaret represents a "deity of protection in pregnancy and childbirth", that would connect to Juliet again as she was brought to the island for the very same purpose (to assist in childbirth).
Now I have no doubt I am reading way too much into things, but I am tending to think Juliet has a major significance on this show. Perhaps something that will be better described next season.
That's the funny part of this show. You find yourself anaylzing things to death until you start thinking of things that are probably not true!
Anonymous —
Thanks for the tip. My suspicion is that you're right, but I'll take your word for it. That would fit very nicely.
Juice —
Hi.
Overanalyzing? You've come to the right place. :)
It's hard to argue with the parallels you raise between Juliet and Taweret. Frankly, it's a pretty odd deity to include in the show. And sure there are mythical connections to be drawn... But what you suggest would give a concrete purpose to choosing Taweret over someone else. Very nice.
Mike
I love how this ties all of the mysteries together under one concept.
Okay, so I'm guessing you already noticed this - but in the Pearl orientation, Dr. Chang's prosthetic arm is his RIGHT arm, and his left eyebrow is constantly raised. In the other orientation videos it's the opposite arm/eyebrow.
Melanie
Anonymous —
Thanks, that was my aim. Appreciated.
Melanie —
Howdy! Hmm — Very cool, though I think I recall both arms being fine in the Pearl film... I 'll take your word for it on the eyebrows.
Mike
Mike,
In regards to your newest comment posted today: I completely agree that the John and Jack pairing is the strongest that the show has. I guess my concern is this; John Locke once had 3 bodies on the island at the same time. Once Ajira crashed on the Island, we had John Locke's dead body; we had John Locke's "inhabited" body, and we had time traveling Locke right after being shot by Ethan. Would you then argue that "Esau" was only able to inhabit Locke's body once his dead remains RETURNED to the Island? I guess inhabit is a poor choice, because John Locke's body was not really taken over, his form was just assumed. Nevertheless, for Jacob to take over Jack, do you believe Jack would need to die? How can you see that panning out on the show? Do you believe that the real John Locke has plans to return? Sorry for the abundance of questions, I just appreciate your thoughts.
Your theory has always been a great read, and very informative.
Congratulations,
James
Sorry, it's the Flame orientation, not the Pearl....I've overloaded on rewatching orientation clips....but you'll see it. Take a look.
Melanie
James —
Thank you for the kind words. Yeah, the body/apparition/assumed form thing is a real headache... My assumption is that death and a body on the island are necessary — so Jack would have to sacrifice himself in some pivotal way. But there are some exceptions (namely Walt and Ben's mother). Thing is, I'm not sure we'll ever have a clear accounting of who was in control of these ghosts/impostors.
I think dead is dead, though Locke's ghost may appear.
So I envision Locke's ghost leading Jack around a la Christian in "White Rabbit." Or, the crazy Jack sacrificing himself for Jacob's use scenario.
Melanie —
Thanks. I took a look. I hate to say it, but I don't see either arm moving. Any ideas?
Mike
View here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY4mkUGoGyk&feature=PlayList&p=574E41917B3C187A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5
~Melanie
Sigh. Swan background? Maybe just a hoax...?
~Melanie
Melanie —
It's plain as day in that video. But yeah, I think it's a hoax. :(
Mike
Jack and John WILL butt heads again. The Losties saving the world in 77 and Desmond doing it again in 04 has changed what's supposed to happen twice now--it's preventing eternal return. (That's why Hawking had to keep this new timeline going and remember her ouroborus pin wasn't right? The snake wasn't biting its tail, which would represent a change in eternal return. Anyway, our John will lead the Dark side and Jack will lead the Light side. The Dark side will rise again and these will be the source of the whispers we've been hearing. They will be fighting for their rebirth/eternal return. The Losties will be fighting to save the world again.
Still probably the single best theory out there. looking forward to ComiCon!!
Pete
Mike - Another Disney property is releasing Alice in Wonderland when the final insights of Lost will be revealed. Could be an awfully nice coincidence . . .
Anonymous -
Sounds great!
Though personally, of course, I'm inclined to think the two sides are in eternal conflict because of their intrinsic nature. Admittedly, return vs no return fits the show very well!
Pete -
Thanks. I just read a synopsis and was a bit underwhelmed (no teaser clip? :( ). Still, they promise some surprises in S5.
Anonymous (2) -
On the off chance this crazy Alice stuff is on the mark, for sure, that would be very cool indeed. Thanks for making the connection.
Mike
Mike,
first of all, nice work!
And...maybe someone said it before...but what about Esau being the smoke monster? Shapeshifting to search for a vessel..smokey never hurted Locke.
And probably he/it had to wait for Locke to go in Jacob's cabin to break some sort of circle: what if the "ghost" of Jacob we saw the first time in the cabin asking for help was Esau?
Cheers,
Ricky
Oh and I forgot! According to the bible, Jacob took the place of his brother Esau to get the legacy of the family and the bless of their father (that's why Esau is alil pissy..) but...what if somehow Esau took his place back? So, what if the guy we know as Jacob is Esau? All the talk about "left" and "right" (good/evil etc...) can be explained like an endless war between the 2 twins: one HAS to be the white and the other HAS to be the black but (like the island) nothing is steady...the roles can be exchanged until there will be a balance between black and white.
I'm breaking my head about the biblical references and Esau is described as "hairy" and "red": exactly how it looks Jacob...
And one more quote from Wikipedia: "The Bible depicts Esau as a hunter who prefers the outdoor life, qualities that distinguished him from his brother, who was a shy or simple man."...Jacob is fishing and eating on the beach when Esau comes, at the beginning of The Incident.
Pheew...that was long...sorry!
Source for Esau: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esau
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