The others are there to guard and protect against people who would change the natural course of things. Libby, Christian, the jewelry store clerk -- all work to preserve the correct order of things. And their job is to watch, as the other plane crash survivor informed Jack (the woman, I forget her name, who seemed so perplexed by Jack's anger). Widmore enterprises and Dharma are an attempt to exploit the power of the island to bring about an outcome in the future. What that outcome is is hard to know (to keep Charles Widmore alive forever? To ensure the power and wealth of Widmore enterprises?) My guess is that Widmore's attempt to manipulate time and space eventually lead to the destruction of the "world" or at least one particular thread of reality.
Layered onto this is simply a love story, played out in a rich and complex way. Desmond loved Penny, Widmore banishes Desmond to the "island", where he unwittingly perpetuates his disappearance from Penny's world by maintaining the very machine that Widmore and Dharma built. But maybe Fate meant for them to be together, and so fate conspires to have Desmond create the electromagnetic anomaly by not pushing the button, ultimately though Locke signaling Penny as to his whereabouts, despite all of her father's machinations (deliberate choice of words).
Let's say that the island is some sort of intersection or portal between multiple realities, into which many have stumbled, from many other realities or universes (smoke creatures, humanoids with 4 toes, you name it). Some people with special talents or powers are able to see between different universes or realities (the various psychics and clairvoyants --- I love that Clare's name is a shortened form of clairvoyant). And so are particularly useful to the other's in their noble mission. The Other's really are not the bad guys.
We know that a recurrent and pervasive theme has been 'watching' - the stations are set up to watch and observe. The others "watch" and appear to recruit others to watch. Many episodes and seasons of the show open with the opening of an eye -- watching. We know from quantum physics that the very act of watching has an effect on the event being observed. Perhaps by focusing and concentrating watching on an outcome it can be manipulated.
Why wouldn't the others have simply destroyed the electromagnetic anomaly? I believe they too are ruled by the laws of time travel and paradoxes, that they are limited as to how they can manipulate the outcome of events. Certain things must take place in a certain order. Jack has to WANT to cure Ben, so that a particular outcome can be preserved. Desmond has to return the ring so that another particular outcome is preserved. In this way all of our lives are connected (see Six Degrees of Separation). What I do in my life ultimately has an impact on you.
The event that Locke unleashed destroyed the Others' beacon for their "submarine". Jungian theory tells us that being under water symbolized entry into the unconscious, and greater accessibility to the Group Conscience (or some would believe, closer to God). Water is like another character in LOST, related to rebirth, drowning, dreams, people falling off cliffs into it, baptism. Perhaps the Others travel in this realm, they use the word submarine to make their ability to travel seem logical to the Losties.
John Locke has a vested interest in not solving the riddle of the island. He is terrified of any alternative outcome to his story because he wants to walk. He is torn between faith and logic, selfishness and altruism, which has always been his philosophical struggle. John's altruism with his kidney turned out to be for his father's selfish gain. Having dynamite, and then having C4, are ways of him sabotaging the Lostie's plans if it appears to threaten his ability to walk.
What your theory and mine don't explain is another recurrent themes of repenting one's sins, of redemption. The early theories on LOST speculated a lot about purgatory. But imagine if you had access to past and future, and ability to change outcomes, to make amends, or to prevent painful events from occurring. The idea of purgatory becomes moot if one takes this selfish view. But if changing the future carried with it the risk of the future existing at all, then one might think differently about making a change.
Enough. Hit me back, would love your feedback.
Theory by Scott
Layered onto this is simply a love story, played out in a rich and complex way. Desmond loved Penny, Widmore banishes Desmond to the "island", where he unwittingly perpetuates his disappearance from Penny's world by maintaining the very machine that Widmore and Dharma built. But maybe Fate meant for them to be together, and so fate conspires to have Desmond create the electromagnetic anomaly by not pushing the button, ultimately though Locke signaling Penny as to his whereabouts, despite all of her father's machinations (deliberate choice of words).
Let's say that the island is some sort of intersection or portal between multiple realities, into which many have stumbled, from many other realities or universes (smoke creatures, humanoids with 4 toes, you name it). Some people with special talents or powers are able to see between different universes or realities (the various psychics and clairvoyants --- I love that Clare's name is a shortened form of clairvoyant). And so are particularly useful to the other's in their noble mission. The Other's really are not the bad guys.
We know that a recurrent and pervasive theme has been 'watching' - the stations are set up to watch and observe. The others "watch" and appear to recruit others to watch. Many episodes and seasons of the show open with the opening of an eye -- watching. We know from quantum physics that the very act of watching has an effect on the event being observed. Perhaps by focusing and concentrating watching on an outcome it can be manipulated.
Why wouldn't the others have simply destroyed the electromagnetic anomaly? I believe they too are ruled by the laws of time travel and paradoxes, that they are limited as to how they can manipulate the outcome of events. Certain things must take place in a certain order. Jack has to WANT to cure Ben, so that a particular outcome can be preserved. Desmond has to return the ring so that another particular outcome is preserved. In this way all of our lives are connected (see Six Degrees of Separation). What I do in my life ultimately has an impact on you.
The event that Locke unleashed destroyed the Others' beacon for their "submarine". Jungian theory tells us that being under water symbolized entry into the unconscious, and greater accessibility to the Group Conscience (or some would believe, closer to God). Water is like another character in LOST, related to rebirth, drowning, dreams, people falling off cliffs into it, baptism. Perhaps the Others travel in this realm, they use the word submarine to make their ability to travel seem logical to the Losties.
John Locke has a vested interest in not solving the riddle of the island. He is terrified of any alternative outcome to his story because he wants to walk. He is torn between faith and logic, selfishness and altruism, which has always been his philosophical struggle. John's altruism with his kidney turned out to be for his father's selfish gain. Having dynamite, and then having C4, are ways of him sabotaging the Lostie's plans if it appears to threaten his ability to walk.
What your theory and mine don't explain is another recurrent themes of repenting one's sins, of redemption. The early theories on LOST speculated a lot about purgatory. But imagine if you had access to past and future, and ability to change outcomes, to make amends, or to prevent painful events from occurring. The idea of purgatory becomes moot if one takes this selfish view. But if changing the future carried with it the risk of the future existing at all, then one might think differently about making a change.
Enough. Hit me back, would love your feedback.
Theory by Scott
