Jack is Jacob, and Ben is not who he says he is:
The freighters are those who represent the corporations that exploit the island for its special properties. They use psychics to control the people on the island. The psychics first read the memories of the person (the smoke monster staring into the person's eyes), then they use those memories to communicate with the inhabitants using projections of people they may recognize. They also use the smoke monster as a tool to instill fear in the inhabitants to keep them away from certain parts of the island or just to further control them. The whispers are the sound of these psychics communicating with each other.
The "others" are remnants of the island's original inhabitants. They are sworn to protect the island from those who wish to exploit it. They do so for "religious" reasons. Jacob is their spiritual leader.
The "Losties" are caught in the middle of the battle between the others and the freighters. Both sides are trying to exploit them to further their own cause.
Ben and Richard Alpert pretend to work for Jacob and the original inhabitants, when in reality they work for the freighters. That is why Richard never seems to age. They use other people to do their dirty work to get the freighters on the island, therefore maintaining an aura of innocence about themselves.
Jacob is from the future, so he knows what events will pass. This is how he gained his power and influence. He may even be Jack from the future. Jack finally does get back to the island, but he gets back when he is very old. He also comes back long before the Losties ever arrive, so he has been on the island for a very long time. He was trying to stop himself from calling the freighters, using Ben's help. But he fails, because Ben betrayed him and was actually working for the freighters.
Ben may actually be keeping Jacob prisoner, trapping his spirit in the cabin by surrounding the perimeter with that dust. That may also be why Jacob asked Locke for help.
Ben probably sent Walt to the freighters, so they could use him for his special abilities. He also probably prompted Locke to blow up the hatch by convincing him that he didn't need to push the button, helping to make the island more vulnerable.
Theory by Julie
The freighters are those who represent the corporations that exploit the island for its special properties. They use psychics to control the people on the island. The psychics first read the memories of the person (the smoke monster staring into the person's eyes), then they use those memories to communicate with the inhabitants using projections of people they may recognize. They also use the smoke monster as a tool to instill fear in the inhabitants to keep them away from certain parts of the island or just to further control them. The whispers are the sound of these psychics communicating with each other.
The "others" are remnants of the island's original inhabitants. They are sworn to protect the island from those who wish to exploit it. They do so for "religious" reasons. Jacob is their spiritual leader.
The "Losties" are caught in the middle of the battle between the others and the freighters. Both sides are trying to exploit them to further their own cause.
Ben and Richard Alpert pretend to work for Jacob and the original inhabitants, when in reality they work for the freighters. That is why Richard never seems to age. They use other people to do their dirty work to get the freighters on the island, therefore maintaining an aura of innocence about themselves.
Jacob is from the future, so he knows what events will pass. This is how he gained his power and influence. He may even be Jack from the future. Jack finally does get back to the island, but he gets back when he is very old. He also comes back long before the Losties ever arrive, so he has been on the island for a very long time. He was trying to stop himself from calling the freighters, using Ben's help. But he fails, because Ben betrayed him and was actually working for the freighters.
Ben may actually be keeping Jacob prisoner, trapping his spirit in the cabin by surrounding the perimeter with that dust. That may also be why Jacob asked Locke for help.
Ben probably sent Walt to the freighters, so they could use him for his special abilities. He also probably prompted Locke to blow up the hatch by convincing him that he didn't need to push the button, helping to make the island more vulnerable.
Theory by Julie
