The island told me by Jack & Kate plus 8(15)

This may not be an original idea, or new to this site. I've only been on this for a few months. (In regard to our symbolic discussions, here's my attempt to one up you Locke's disciple ;-P)

We all know Ben' metaphor that the island is a Magic Box that stores whatever you imagine. Eko tells the parable of the Book of Laws, in which a King rebuilds the Temple which is in disarray because of worship to false idols.

I would like to consider that Jacob, MIB and the Monster are simply things that came out of the Magic Box. False idols worshipped by mankind that this energy source that we call the island has manifested. It's unlimited energy is a tabula rasa; an empty canvas that is painted by the creative imaginations of humans. Beautiful things, and horrible things alike find their way onto the canvas.

First there were the Egyptians. They build monuments and structures based on their belief systems and thought processes. They lived in a hierarchy system rich with mythology of various Gods. They imagined a creature like Cerebus that weighs your heart (to judge you) and sends you to the underworld and won't let you back... low and behold it one day came to be. (I'm not suggesting they called it Cerebus, only that they envisioned it)

I would think at some point, they or a later civilization, either imagined a devil-like creature or began telling ghost stories of the dead they've wronged in life haunting them... low and behold MIB comes out of the box.

Perhaps centuries later a new society came to the island and inside their minds a Jesus-like figure that heals the living and fights satan was put into the box, which one day was opened and released to the people.

Perhaps in different orders or in different methods this happened. The point being, with strong enough beliefs, humans provided this island with the conceptualizations that torment or bless them. "We are the causes of our own suffering." No sh*t!! Lost is definitely not Christian propaganda and I'm not bashing religious belief. It's just that humans do conceptualize a figure like Jacob to be the "good guy". I'm listening to my good buddy Frank J. Lapidus because in his experience the guys that go out of their way to tell you they're the good guys are usually the bad guys. Two players, two sides. One is light, one is dark. Not Jacob vs MIB. Positive, hopeful humans vs negative pessimistic ones. Those that "look north" and those that "are too limited to see" An eye unimpeded, and an eye with a cut perhaps altering the vision. (symbolically)

I wonder if Richard is like the King rebuilding the Temple by trying to show people the error of worshipping these false idols? Richard a 19th century humanist arrives on the Black Rock and was provided agelessness because of his strong beliefs mixed with a Temple healing process and perhaps an act of remarkable bravery or compassion. He makes several implications of his loyalty to Jacob yet I think his true beliefs lie in humanism. Obviously "The Temple" implies a religious aspect and humanism tends to distance itself from that way of thinking. I just think with all the other philosophies incorporated into the show Richard seems like a candidate for this one. Richard shows the way to Jacob as a hint of his atheistic view? Perhaps he caught on to MIB's plan and saw it as a way to further his own beliefs?

This also means a kind of "Island of dr moreau" or Frankenstein situation. The creations got out of hand and now they fight and conspire amongst themselves for power. This could be an example of mankind's religious wars also coming out of the Magic Box. Ironically though, it's the Gods fighting for the attention of their human creators. Jacob, MIB, the Monster all use the power they have been given by the human mind in order to assert their dominance in a battle-royal of island deities.

You tell the island what you want and it tells you who you really are based on what comes out of the box. A self-analyzation by looking under your Christmas tree.

Happy Holidays.

Thanks for reading.