Everything in the universe is in constant change and so is my theory. This is what I have at the moment. I have had the pleasure of reading many enlightening and interesting theories on the internet and you will not be surprised to see elements of my theory that have been heard/seen before.
The premise that prevails in my theory is Eko's statement, "Do not confuse coincidence as fate."
The island has been inhabited for eons… the four toed statue is just evidence of some primitive culture that worshiped a four toed god. There are probably other ruins on the island that could speak to the island's history. The island has natural properties that affect people and the island has always been revered as a sacred or spiritual place and used as such.
The Hanso Foundation funded a group from Michigan, organized by the DeGroots in the 70's and named this project DHARMA or the Department of Heuristics and Research Material Applications. Hanso has very deep pockets so no expense was spared. A remote island was found and building/research began. There is another island close to this one where the participants lived and relaxed. Hence, the Pala dock and ferry.
Not long into the research being conducted a discovery was made, an anomaly. DHARMA, while maintaining their on-going research specializing in greater understanding of the human condition; developed a specialized team to address this magnetic anomaly.
As they began reporting their status to Hanso, as required to maintain their funding, Hanso took a particular interest in this anomaly and this specialized team. Hanso added some of their own researchers/scientists to the team. The island was discovered to generate such magnetic qualities such that have never been seen on earth to this day. The massive amounts of these magnetic emissions were soon harnessed by the DHARMA/Hanso team and an electromagnetic generator was developed.
Then discussions began about what this harnessed energy could be used for and this is where DHARMA and Hanso parted ways. The Degroots and other leaders of the DHARMA initiative were idealistic peace loving environmentalist that believed the power generated could be used for the "good" of mankind. Hanso saw this power as another medium for military arms and weapons of mass destruction.
With extreme tension the DHARMA people were allowed to bring to resolution some of their research and then agreed to abandon the project/island as Hanso refused any additional funding after this agreement. A few renegade-save-the-world DHARMA (and a few Hanso good guys) scientists felt compelled to stay with the island to sabotage Hanso's efforts and protect mankind. Thus, save the world.
Meanwhile, another strange phenomenon had been discovered; the DHARMA personnel had begun to see through their remote viewing studies that their participants had greatly increased their psychic abilities, allowing them to perceive things which had not yet happened, to practically read someone else's mind, and to collectively make things happen or appear. This affect was so dramatic that they saw some people fall into madness not being about to comprehend these new found abilities. It was essential to Dharma that they developed a serum that could help control the affects of the island. Most participants were inoculated regularly; some were left to be studied.
The renegade scientist that remained behind were continuing to work on the psychic phenomenon they had discovered and working under extreme conditions at first because they had none of the serum to protect themselves.
This serum works much like an antipsychotic in that it reduces the mind's ability to fire neutrons thus limiting the thinking and obsessing processes we generally use to problem solve among other things. It also acts as a block to psychic intrusion by others.
DHARMA had not shared this discover with Hanso and they had explained the need for the serum as part of keeping participants in long term confinement manageable and in full control of their faculties.
As Dharma departed the island, the renegade scientist decided to use these advanced psychic abilities as a weapon/tool against Hanso. Hanso sent researchers and scientist of their own to the island to take over the management of the electromagnetic generator. Through mass mind control the others were able to conjure up incredible unexplainable events that scared and ran off the Hanso researchers.
Hanso temporarily backed off the island but manned a two person team that would push a button allowing built up heat within the generator to be harmlessly released into the atmosphere. The button pushing had been incorporated into one of Dharma's studies so Hanso found no reason to redesign something that already was in place and working. Hanso maintained this station in the same manner as Dharma, delivering food, supplies and resources as needed. They hired top level retired military personnel to man the station.
However, Hanso has not forgotten about the island and its properties and is working off site on complimentary projects and planning on returning to the island in the future to resume their research.
These renegade scientist and workers are considered to be the others by the losties. A term coined by Danielle Rousseau These other's believe without a shadow of a doubt that they are maintaining work that is a benefit to mankind and is of the highest importance. Years have passed and they have become zealots, their focus distorted, they are unaware of all the influences of the island and their minds have altered over the years.
However, through a series of unfortunate events they have discovered a way to differentiate between those that would use the mind control/enhanced psychic abilities wisely and safely and those that cannot. Those that cannot would be contaminated in a necessarily "bad" way and be harmful to themselves and others.
Rousseau was one of those people that quickly developed a psychic ability to read the minds of her crew and she interpreted them as a danger/threat to her and she killed them. The Others observing her felt it was necessary to take her baby as she might harm it as well and feeling benevolent towards her they let her maintain her existence on the island. They stayed clear of her for their own protection. She was also recognized as a good recipient of their studies… a guinea pig.
As the years progressed Rousseau's mind has altered and she is relatively harmless at this point. She is unable to differentiate between reality and her thoughts. This confusion does not allow her to use the psychic abilities to her advantage or to do any real harm.
In fact, interaction with the losties has helped Rousseau start regaining some of her faculties.
The Others were able to predict the crash of flight 815 and although it was an accident, a tragedy for the island/survivors there was nothing they could do. They have stayed a distance and in cognito while watching them closely to see what happens to them. They took the children and tried to take all the people that they were able to discern as "good" to protect them from the other losties.
But, this also posed a unique opportunity to observe the island's influence on a controlled group of participants. Not knowing what psychic abilities the losties would be capable of they were the perceived as the "bad" ones and considered dangerous.
Claire was kidnapped just to get to her baby and inoculate the child, Charlie is a "bad" one so why not hang him, just get him out of the way. Later they decided it was safer to take the baby now, sacrifice Claire and at least save a child that could be "good." In the other's view of the world, their bigger picture allows them to cast away "bad" people like rotten food. Sacrifice for the greater good…
The others have been put in positions where they feel they have to intervene and make contact with the losties… like taking Walt, not only for his powers but also to protect him from the adults around him and from himself. The others noticed that Walt was already advanced in his psychic abilities upon arrival… the island was only going to make him a very powerful player, one they thought best that they control. For instance, Vince is an aberration of Walt's and now that the other losties have seen and believe him to be real he is indeed a constant in their world, that's also why he seems to come and go, unless you are thinking about him he doesn't exist. In reality, Vince died in the plane crash. The others use Vince as a vehicle to continue their supervision of the losties.
The others have tapped into the minds of our losties and through collective remote viewing and mind control and have been able through their manifestation of smokie have been able to conjure up aberrations, not apparitions, of whatever a lostie is seeing or thinking about in their minds… Jack and his dad, Kate and the horse… their fear of the unknown, i.e. monsters… controlling and manipulating the losties has become vital to protecting the secrecy of the others and their work. They feel fortunate to have a control group to study however, they know that they will have to find a way to co-exist with the losties but have not figured out how that will be possible at this point. Keeping themselves (the others) hidden is the most important task at the moment.
Wanting to keep the losties out of the jungle and away from the plane's communication equipment was one of the first ways the others saw an opportunity to manipulate the losties. When Kate, Jack and Charlie approached the front portion of the plane they thought they had found the pilot alive and able to communicate. The pilot let them know that they were 1000 miles off course, meaning no one would be able to find them.
The others thought this message would deter the losties from trying to seek help/communicate with the outside world. In an effort to scare them the others made it look as if the pilot was grabbed from some outside monster and that they (the losties), too were in eminent danger.
In reality, if you'll remember the window of the plane was already broken and the pilot had gone through the window upon impact. He was in the top of the tree all along, only the losties never saw him there, nor did they understand that the pilot they interacted with was only an aberration.
This idea of a "monster" that kills proved to be a very effect way of keeping the losties away from the plane from that time on… like all aberrations they depended on the losties perceptions of what was scary to them… a monster, something huge, Jurassic Park like and something that made horrible clanking sounds, as an example probably taken from Rose's consciousness… she said it sounded familiar and perhaps she was frightened as a small child by the subways in New York. Perhaps, some else saw too many horror flicks and has some left over issues as a result!
There is no monster; there are only aberrations, sometimes revealed to the losties in the form of smoke.
Wondering about Cindy, everyone knew there was a Cindy on board and the tailies, too, needed the message to not try to communicate with the outside world… perhaps, she died in the crash and was an aberration as well and her purpose was to give the message that they were 1000 miles off course. Notice she disappeared very quickly as soon as the losties and the tailies were about to meet up.
The others have watched the losties as they are learning (unbeknown to them) to use their psychic abilities to heal themselves, sooth and comfort themselves…the losties are able to create feelings of being relatively at ease living on the beach. They seem to have no need for permanent structures or to explore their environment and notice how easy it is to have all their basic needs met and much more. The losties manage to find whatever it is that they need with the exception of a hair brush. Hurley can continue to be haunted by the numbers, seeing them repeatedly on the island, Charlie finds a stash of heroin on the island, Ecko finds his brother's plane and the fate of his beloved brother, Locke can become the great white hunter, Sun a very successful gardener, Rose can feel healed and have her husband safely returned to her to name, just a few.
The others depend on the losties new found psychic abilities to access their thoughts and continue to manipulate them if need be. This mutual psychic abilities allows the losties, like with Kate and the horse, for her to think it is real and because she believes it to be real she could reach out and touch the horse. Without her own psychic abilities the aberration could not have been so successful.
Most importantly, the others do not want the losties to realize their own psychic abilities, it is a power that the other's respect and fear. They can tell that the losties are tapping in, developing these skills -- the losties can sometimes hear whispering in the jungle; the others talking while remote viewing.
However, the others are noticing increasing tensions between some of the losties and their need for control, i.e., Jack, Kate and Sawyer. They are afraid if they don't intervene with these three they may create situations that are harmful to everyone else. They do not want another incident like what happened with Rousseau and her crew to happen again.
Jack's influence on Locke has affected his faith in the island and the hatch and was ultimately making Locke distrust his own feelings/thoughts and decision making abilities. Ekco and Locke are made of the same cloth and are basically good people and with enhanced abilities will do the right thing… We are starting to see personality changes in some of the losties, Charlie, in particular, is becoming more and more deviant and moody.
The Others realize they can not simply set the losties free from the island. The losties have been affected by the island. The Others do not know if these enhanced psych abilities continue upon leaving the island and don't want to take the risk. The Others also do not want to risk word getting back to Hanso that they are still on the island and that these psychic abilities are possible.
At this point, the others feel they have the three main leaders, the ones that seem to be exhibiting abilities that might be harmful and will deal with them, perhaps to inoculate them and help them understand hoping good reasoning will bring them to the other side of the spectrum. The others feel relatively positive about the remaining group of losties and if left alone and to their own devices should be content and harmless.
The others under estimate Sayid's goodness and his compassion for saving the three captives and he will organize and act to rescue them. Sayid isn't even aware of the sinister abilities of Jack, Kate or Sawyer, however, he has observed and just caulks it up to the human condition… most people have good and bad in them, it just depends which trait is more prominent when it comes to making decisions and living with others.
As for Michael, Walt is an aberration and after awhile, once out at sea Walt will disappear and Michael will be left alone, the gas will run out and he will be adrift and left to die. It's questionable whether he will drift out of the island's proximity and into shipping routes in time to be saved. Walt is on the island, still captive of the others.
So are the other's good? They think so but they have lost their perspective… and have lost insight into the human condition and that people are neither all good nor all bad. They remind me of any group of zealots, given power they will blindly do harm at the expense of others. It's up to our losties to save the day!
Oh, and you ask about all the connections between the losties… six degrees of separation and a very good way to throw us on to a trail to no where… red herrings! This is an intriguing plot and the writers have done a great job of not making it too easy for us to figure it out… use the same props over and over, lots of gold cars in the world, there's a randomness to the world that allows for coincidence, throw in some aberrations along with some real polar bear sightings… again, do not confuse coincidence with fate per our man Eko!
Theory by Mindsparkle
The premise that prevails in my theory is Eko's statement, "Do not confuse coincidence as fate."
The island has been inhabited for eons… the four toed statue is just evidence of some primitive culture that worshiped a four toed god. There are probably other ruins on the island that could speak to the island's history. The island has natural properties that affect people and the island has always been revered as a sacred or spiritual place and used as such.
The Hanso Foundation funded a group from Michigan, organized by the DeGroots in the 70's and named this project DHARMA or the Department of Heuristics and Research Material Applications. Hanso has very deep pockets so no expense was spared. A remote island was found and building/research began. There is another island close to this one where the participants lived and relaxed. Hence, the Pala dock and ferry.
Not long into the research being conducted a discovery was made, an anomaly. DHARMA, while maintaining their on-going research specializing in greater understanding of the human condition; developed a specialized team to address this magnetic anomaly.
As they began reporting their status to Hanso, as required to maintain their funding, Hanso took a particular interest in this anomaly and this specialized team. Hanso added some of their own researchers/scientists to the team. The island was discovered to generate such magnetic qualities such that have never been seen on earth to this day. The massive amounts of these magnetic emissions were soon harnessed by the DHARMA/Hanso team and an electromagnetic generator was developed.
Then discussions began about what this harnessed energy could be used for and this is where DHARMA and Hanso parted ways. The Degroots and other leaders of the DHARMA initiative were idealistic peace loving environmentalist that believed the power generated could be used for the "good" of mankind. Hanso saw this power as another medium for military arms and weapons of mass destruction.
With extreme tension the DHARMA people were allowed to bring to resolution some of their research and then agreed to abandon the project/island as Hanso refused any additional funding after this agreement. A few renegade-save-the-world DHARMA (and a few Hanso good guys) scientists felt compelled to stay with the island to sabotage Hanso's efforts and protect mankind. Thus, save the world.
Meanwhile, another strange phenomenon had been discovered; the DHARMA personnel had begun to see through their remote viewing studies that their participants had greatly increased their psychic abilities, allowing them to perceive things which had not yet happened, to practically read someone else's mind, and to collectively make things happen or appear. This affect was so dramatic that they saw some people fall into madness not being about to comprehend these new found abilities. It was essential to Dharma that they developed a serum that could help control the affects of the island. Most participants were inoculated regularly; some were left to be studied.
The renegade scientist that remained behind were continuing to work on the psychic phenomenon they had discovered and working under extreme conditions at first because they had none of the serum to protect themselves.
This serum works much like an antipsychotic in that it reduces the mind's ability to fire neutrons thus limiting the thinking and obsessing processes we generally use to problem solve among other things. It also acts as a block to psychic intrusion by others.
DHARMA had not shared this discover with Hanso and they had explained the need for the serum as part of keeping participants in long term confinement manageable and in full control of their faculties.
As Dharma departed the island, the renegade scientist decided to use these advanced psychic abilities as a weapon/tool against Hanso. Hanso sent researchers and scientist of their own to the island to take over the management of the electromagnetic generator. Through mass mind control the others were able to conjure up incredible unexplainable events that scared and ran off the Hanso researchers.
Hanso temporarily backed off the island but manned a two person team that would push a button allowing built up heat within the generator to be harmlessly released into the atmosphere. The button pushing had been incorporated into one of Dharma's studies so Hanso found no reason to redesign something that already was in place and working. Hanso maintained this station in the same manner as Dharma, delivering food, supplies and resources as needed. They hired top level retired military personnel to man the station.
However, Hanso has not forgotten about the island and its properties and is working off site on complimentary projects and planning on returning to the island in the future to resume their research.
These renegade scientist and workers are considered to be the others by the losties. A term coined by Danielle Rousseau These other's believe without a shadow of a doubt that they are maintaining work that is a benefit to mankind and is of the highest importance. Years have passed and they have become zealots, their focus distorted, they are unaware of all the influences of the island and their minds have altered over the years.
However, through a series of unfortunate events they have discovered a way to differentiate between those that would use the mind control/enhanced psychic abilities wisely and safely and those that cannot. Those that cannot would be contaminated in a necessarily "bad" way and be harmful to themselves and others.
Rousseau was one of those people that quickly developed a psychic ability to read the minds of her crew and she interpreted them as a danger/threat to her and she killed them. The Others observing her felt it was necessary to take her baby as she might harm it as well and feeling benevolent towards her they let her maintain her existence on the island. They stayed clear of her for their own protection. She was also recognized as a good recipient of their studies… a guinea pig.
As the years progressed Rousseau's mind has altered and she is relatively harmless at this point. She is unable to differentiate between reality and her thoughts. This confusion does not allow her to use the psychic abilities to her advantage or to do any real harm.
In fact, interaction with the losties has helped Rousseau start regaining some of her faculties.
The Others were able to predict the crash of flight 815 and although it was an accident, a tragedy for the island/survivors there was nothing they could do. They have stayed a distance and in cognito while watching them closely to see what happens to them. They took the children and tried to take all the people that they were able to discern as "good" to protect them from the other losties.
But, this also posed a unique opportunity to observe the island's influence on a controlled group of participants. Not knowing what psychic abilities the losties would be capable of they were the perceived as the "bad" ones and considered dangerous.
Claire was kidnapped just to get to her baby and inoculate the child, Charlie is a "bad" one so why not hang him, just get him out of the way. Later they decided it was safer to take the baby now, sacrifice Claire and at least save a child that could be "good." In the other's view of the world, their bigger picture allows them to cast away "bad" people like rotten food. Sacrifice for the greater good…
The others have been put in positions where they feel they have to intervene and make contact with the losties… like taking Walt, not only for his powers but also to protect him from the adults around him and from himself. The others noticed that Walt was already advanced in his psychic abilities upon arrival… the island was only going to make him a very powerful player, one they thought best that they control. For instance, Vince is an aberration of Walt's and now that the other losties have seen and believe him to be real he is indeed a constant in their world, that's also why he seems to come and go, unless you are thinking about him he doesn't exist. In reality, Vince died in the plane crash. The others use Vince as a vehicle to continue their supervision of the losties.
The others have tapped into the minds of our losties and through collective remote viewing and mind control and have been able through their manifestation of smokie have been able to conjure up aberrations, not apparitions, of whatever a lostie is seeing or thinking about in their minds… Jack and his dad, Kate and the horse… their fear of the unknown, i.e. monsters… controlling and manipulating the losties has become vital to protecting the secrecy of the others and their work. They feel fortunate to have a control group to study however, they know that they will have to find a way to co-exist with the losties but have not figured out how that will be possible at this point. Keeping themselves (the others) hidden is the most important task at the moment.
Wanting to keep the losties out of the jungle and away from the plane's communication equipment was one of the first ways the others saw an opportunity to manipulate the losties. When Kate, Jack and Charlie approached the front portion of the plane they thought they had found the pilot alive and able to communicate. The pilot let them know that they were 1000 miles off course, meaning no one would be able to find them.
The others thought this message would deter the losties from trying to seek help/communicate with the outside world. In an effort to scare them the others made it look as if the pilot was grabbed from some outside monster and that they (the losties), too were in eminent danger.
In reality, if you'll remember the window of the plane was already broken and the pilot had gone through the window upon impact. He was in the top of the tree all along, only the losties never saw him there, nor did they understand that the pilot they interacted with was only an aberration.
This idea of a "monster" that kills proved to be a very effect way of keeping the losties away from the plane from that time on… like all aberrations they depended on the losties perceptions of what was scary to them… a monster, something huge, Jurassic Park like and something that made horrible clanking sounds, as an example probably taken from Rose's consciousness… she said it sounded familiar and perhaps she was frightened as a small child by the subways in New York. Perhaps, some else saw too many horror flicks and has some left over issues as a result!
There is no monster; there are only aberrations, sometimes revealed to the losties in the form of smoke.
Wondering about Cindy, everyone knew there was a Cindy on board and the tailies, too, needed the message to not try to communicate with the outside world… perhaps, she died in the crash and was an aberration as well and her purpose was to give the message that they were 1000 miles off course. Notice she disappeared very quickly as soon as the losties and the tailies were about to meet up.
The others have watched the losties as they are learning (unbeknown to them) to use their psychic abilities to heal themselves, sooth and comfort themselves…the losties are able to create feelings of being relatively at ease living on the beach. They seem to have no need for permanent structures or to explore their environment and notice how easy it is to have all their basic needs met and much more. The losties manage to find whatever it is that they need with the exception of a hair brush. Hurley can continue to be haunted by the numbers, seeing them repeatedly on the island, Charlie finds a stash of heroin on the island, Ecko finds his brother's plane and the fate of his beloved brother, Locke can become the great white hunter, Sun a very successful gardener, Rose can feel healed and have her husband safely returned to her to name, just a few.
The others depend on the losties new found psychic abilities to access their thoughts and continue to manipulate them if need be. This mutual psychic abilities allows the losties, like with Kate and the horse, for her to think it is real and because she believes it to be real she could reach out and touch the horse. Without her own psychic abilities the aberration could not have been so successful.
Most importantly, the others do not want the losties to realize their own psychic abilities, it is a power that the other's respect and fear. They can tell that the losties are tapping in, developing these skills -- the losties can sometimes hear whispering in the jungle; the others talking while remote viewing.
However, the others are noticing increasing tensions between some of the losties and their need for control, i.e., Jack, Kate and Sawyer. They are afraid if they don't intervene with these three they may create situations that are harmful to everyone else. They do not want another incident like what happened with Rousseau and her crew to happen again.
Jack's influence on Locke has affected his faith in the island and the hatch and was ultimately making Locke distrust his own feelings/thoughts and decision making abilities. Ekco and Locke are made of the same cloth and are basically good people and with enhanced abilities will do the right thing… We are starting to see personality changes in some of the losties, Charlie, in particular, is becoming more and more deviant and moody.
The Others realize they can not simply set the losties free from the island. The losties have been affected by the island. The Others do not know if these enhanced psych abilities continue upon leaving the island and don't want to take the risk. The Others also do not want to risk word getting back to Hanso that they are still on the island and that these psychic abilities are possible.
At this point, the others feel they have the three main leaders, the ones that seem to be exhibiting abilities that might be harmful and will deal with them, perhaps to inoculate them and help them understand hoping good reasoning will bring them to the other side of the spectrum. The others feel relatively positive about the remaining group of losties and if left alone and to their own devices should be content and harmless.
The others under estimate Sayid's goodness and his compassion for saving the three captives and he will organize and act to rescue them. Sayid isn't even aware of the sinister abilities of Jack, Kate or Sawyer, however, he has observed and just caulks it up to the human condition… most people have good and bad in them, it just depends which trait is more prominent when it comes to making decisions and living with others.
As for Michael, Walt is an aberration and after awhile, once out at sea Walt will disappear and Michael will be left alone, the gas will run out and he will be adrift and left to die. It's questionable whether he will drift out of the island's proximity and into shipping routes in time to be saved. Walt is on the island, still captive of the others.
So are the other's good? They think so but they have lost their perspective… and have lost insight into the human condition and that people are neither all good nor all bad. They remind me of any group of zealots, given power they will blindly do harm at the expense of others. It's up to our losties to save the day!
Oh, and you ask about all the connections between the losties… six degrees of separation and a very good way to throw us on to a trail to no where… red herrings! This is an intriguing plot and the writers have done a great job of not making it too easy for us to figure it out… use the same props over and over, lots of gold cars in the world, there's a randomness to the world that allows for coincidence, throw in some aberrations along with some real polar bear sightings… again, do not confuse coincidence with fate per our man Eko!
Theory by Mindsparkle
