The Island is a kind of “Shambala” like in the Story “Lost Horizon.” In “Lost Horizon” people didn’t age, or did so very slowly, healed quickly of infirmities, and lived a simple and idyllic existence based on a spiritual practice of moderation and kindness (as in being “good people”). Also, time passed “differently” in Shambala. The “Shambala” of “Lost Horizon” was also meant to be a depository of the best of culture, art, technology, philosophy, and here is a parallel with the originally stated ambitions of the Dharma Initiative.
But, what if:
In the world of “Lost Horizon” the story line took a different turn? Instead of remaining safely hidden, Shambala became exposed, known to the outside world, and unscrupulous people flocked there to oppress or even eliminate it’s people and exploit it’s unique resources and power for their own nefarious and greedy ends? Perhaps this is the premise of our current Lost?
The Dharma Initiative apparently had the right idea and good intentions at the beginning but somehow the organization became corrupted and its aims turned away from doing experiments to better humankind, succumbing instead to increased animosity toward the original inhabitants and the infiltration of corrupted “bad” people in it’s highest ranks of authority off-island. So the people of “the island” had a revolution and overthrew the Dharma Initiative. And again this “Shambala” was hidden from the world, for a time;
Until September 22, 2004. In the original Lost Horizon, the protagonists were also survivors of a plane crash, but in this version of Lost, instead of being greeted warmly and given aid, our crew has haplessly come into the crossfire of a war between the Others and their foes (Widmore with his freighter people and a host of as yet unknown enemies, perhaps Mr. Paik among others?). The survivors of flight 815 encounter suspicion, deception, and even deadly hostility.
Another parallel with “Lost Horizon” is the character of “Jacob.” In the original Lost Horizon there was a Belgian priest who became the High Lama. So in our current “Lost” we have the mysterious “Jacob” leading his “good people” (to the promised land?) indirectly with Benjamin as his mouthpiece, as Aaron was the mouth piece of Moses in the Bible.
Who is Benjamin? I think he is the maternal grandson of Alvar Hanso, which would explain his access to seemingly vast financial and other resources. Perhaps his mother married a man “not good enough” (a recurring theme) and the Dharma initiative was instructed to give Ben’s ne’er do well father, who may never have known his wife’s familial background, (was she disowned for marrying Roger? Or for being rebellious and committing some other indiscretion?) a job as a way of bringing Ben into the sphere of his grandfather’s influence?
Perhaps Benjamin really IS a “good person” doing all he can, and all he must, to facilitate the greater good; and this is because he has a grasp of the Big Picture that we don’t have.
Who was(IS. I think she’s still alive.) Danielle? Was she “Annie”? and is Benjamin really Alex’s biological father? Did Danielle and Benjamin have a falling out over their loyalties? Did she (like Juliet) go off with another man? Is Alex the “other man’s” daughter that Ben raised in a twist of irony (or a “simple twist of fate”?) and possible revenge for “Annie’s” disloyalty? Did she go a little mad with grief and possible guilt as a result of the “Purge”? Or was Danielle, like Naomi, an earlier “scout” for the enemy?
Why do all the pregnant women die, but all the men have high sperm counts? Could it be that the “ecology” of the island compensates for having given the gift of immortality or of at least great longevity by imparting problems derived from the combination of Electro-magnetism, genetic heredity due to the original inhabitants having to inbreed because their numbers were small, and perhaps a virus brought to the island by the Dharma initiative to eliminate the “hostiles”? And as we have been told the Universe has a way of “balancing things out”.
Who are the Hostiles? I think some of them came to the island on the Black Rock, and we know that more were brought in after the “purge” by Benjamin.
So these are some of my speculations so far.
Theory by L. Fraser
But, what if:
In the world of “Lost Horizon” the story line took a different turn? Instead of remaining safely hidden, Shambala became exposed, known to the outside world, and unscrupulous people flocked there to oppress or even eliminate it’s people and exploit it’s unique resources and power for their own nefarious and greedy ends? Perhaps this is the premise of our current Lost?
The Dharma Initiative apparently had the right idea and good intentions at the beginning but somehow the organization became corrupted and its aims turned away from doing experiments to better humankind, succumbing instead to increased animosity toward the original inhabitants and the infiltration of corrupted “bad” people in it’s highest ranks of authority off-island. So the people of “the island” had a revolution and overthrew the Dharma Initiative. And again this “Shambala” was hidden from the world, for a time;
Until September 22, 2004. In the original Lost Horizon, the protagonists were also survivors of a plane crash, but in this version of Lost, instead of being greeted warmly and given aid, our crew has haplessly come into the crossfire of a war between the Others and their foes (Widmore with his freighter people and a host of as yet unknown enemies, perhaps Mr. Paik among others?). The survivors of flight 815 encounter suspicion, deception, and even deadly hostility.
Another parallel with “Lost Horizon” is the character of “Jacob.” In the original Lost Horizon there was a Belgian priest who became the High Lama. So in our current “Lost” we have the mysterious “Jacob” leading his “good people” (to the promised land?) indirectly with Benjamin as his mouthpiece, as Aaron was the mouth piece of Moses in the Bible.
Who is Benjamin? I think he is the maternal grandson of Alvar Hanso, which would explain his access to seemingly vast financial and other resources. Perhaps his mother married a man “not good enough” (a recurring theme) and the Dharma initiative was instructed to give Ben’s ne’er do well father, who may never have known his wife’s familial background, (was she disowned for marrying Roger? Or for being rebellious and committing some other indiscretion?) a job as a way of bringing Ben into the sphere of his grandfather’s influence?
Perhaps Benjamin really IS a “good person” doing all he can, and all he must, to facilitate the greater good; and this is because he has a grasp of the Big Picture that we don’t have.
Who was(IS. I think she’s still alive.) Danielle? Was she “Annie”? and is Benjamin really Alex’s biological father? Did Danielle and Benjamin have a falling out over their loyalties? Did she (like Juliet) go off with another man? Is Alex the “other man’s” daughter that Ben raised in a twist of irony (or a “simple twist of fate”?) and possible revenge for “Annie’s” disloyalty? Did she go a little mad with grief and possible guilt as a result of the “Purge”? Or was Danielle, like Naomi, an earlier “scout” for the enemy?
Why do all the pregnant women die, but all the men have high sperm counts? Could it be that the “ecology” of the island compensates for having given the gift of immortality or of at least great longevity by imparting problems derived from the combination of Electro-magnetism, genetic heredity due to the original inhabitants having to inbreed because their numbers were small, and perhaps a virus brought to the island by the Dharma initiative to eliminate the “hostiles”? And as we have been told the Universe has a way of “balancing things out”.
Who are the Hostiles? I think some of them came to the island on the Black Rock, and we know that more were brought in after the “purge” by Benjamin.
So these are some of my speculations so far.
Theory by L. Fraser
