We now know that for certain people, if they want something enough, it will happen for them - both on and off the Island.
I'm fairly sure that Walt "wished up" a Polar Bear after seeing the image in Hugo's Comic Book on the Island in the same way that he wished up that bird he was studying in Australia.
In fact, in order for a Polar Bear to even exist on a tropical island in the first place, there had to be some real-world reason, some "reasonable" explanation - such as, say, a decades-old Scientific Research program aimed at "de-territorialisation" blah blah blah. In other words, I think Walt CREATED the DHARMA Polar Bear program IN THE PAST by wishing up a Polar Bear in the "present".
We know that Ben knows about Conscious Wish Fulfillment because he describes it to Locke in "The man from Tallahassee". We also know that Ben, having turned the frozen donkey wheel, is transported in time and space to Tunisia. We know that Ben didn't know what date or even what year he was in, but that as soon as he realised that it was a few days before Nadia's funeral, he travelled to Tikrit and happened to have in his possession photographic "proof" linking Bakir to Nadia's murder. IMO, Ben "wished up" this proof - which did in fact appear valid: moments before his death, Bakir tacitly admitted that he worked for Widmore.
I think that Ben may have (unconsciously) "brought" Jack to the Island because he NEEDED a miracle-working spinal surgeon. It was Ben's need, coupled with the fact that Ben is Very Special which enabled him to (perhaps subconsciously) WANT a Spinal Surgeon to come to the Island. Ben's WANTING changed Jack's past, causing him to make a series of "choices" and to encounter a series of "Coincidences" (including his Miraculous Sarah Surgery) which weren't Free Will or Coincidences at all ... these "Free Will choices and Coincidences" were simply all the little steps needed BY BEN to get Jack onto Flight 815.
One of the repeating phrases we hear on LOST all the time is: "What is it that you want?" or "What do you want from me?" We also know that in 305 - "The Cost of Living" - that Ben told Jack: "I wanted you to WANT to save my life" - knowing that if Dr Miracle-worker WISHED for it sincerely-enough, lo - it would come to pass (as it did for Hanging Charlie)
So ... who WANTED Ben to get Cancer in the first place? Maybe Jacob.
Who WANTED the rest of our Losties (and was responsible for all the pre-crash misery that led them onto) on Flight 815?
Note that Ben's "Family" weren't really expecting Flight 815 on the day of the Book Club meeting and that it wasn't until after Mikhail's research that Ben knew the backgrounds of the survivors. So ... Ben didn't consciously bring them. Somebody (Jacob? ... The Island?) is using Ben.
Theory by Roland
I'm fairly sure that Walt "wished up" a Polar Bear after seeing the image in Hugo's Comic Book on the Island in the same way that he wished up that bird he was studying in Australia.
In fact, in order for a Polar Bear to even exist on a tropical island in the first place, there had to be some real-world reason, some "reasonable" explanation - such as, say, a decades-old Scientific Research program aimed at "de-territorialisation" blah blah blah. In other words, I think Walt CREATED the DHARMA Polar Bear program IN THE PAST by wishing up a Polar Bear in the "present".
We know that Ben knows about Conscious Wish Fulfillment because he describes it to Locke in "The man from Tallahassee". We also know that Ben, having turned the frozen donkey wheel, is transported in time and space to Tunisia. We know that Ben didn't know what date or even what year he was in, but that as soon as he realised that it was a few days before Nadia's funeral, he travelled to Tikrit and happened to have in his possession photographic "proof" linking Bakir to Nadia's murder. IMO, Ben "wished up" this proof - which did in fact appear valid: moments before his death, Bakir tacitly admitted that he worked for Widmore.
I think that Ben may have (unconsciously) "brought" Jack to the Island because he NEEDED a miracle-working spinal surgeon. It was Ben's need, coupled with the fact that Ben is Very Special which enabled him to (perhaps subconsciously) WANT a Spinal Surgeon to come to the Island. Ben's WANTING changed Jack's past, causing him to make a series of "choices" and to encounter a series of "Coincidences" (including his Miraculous Sarah Surgery) which weren't Free Will or Coincidences at all ... these "Free Will choices and Coincidences" were simply all the little steps needed BY BEN to get Jack onto Flight 815.
One of the repeating phrases we hear on LOST all the time is: "What is it that you want?" or "What do you want from me?" We also know that in 305 - "The Cost of Living" - that Ben told Jack: "I wanted you to WANT to save my life" - knowing that if Dr Miracle-worker WISHED for it sincerely-enough, lo - it would come to pass (as it did for Hanging Charlie)
So ... who WANTED Ben to get Cancer in the first place? Maybe Jacob.
Who WANTED the rest of our Losties (and was responsible for all the pre-crash misery that led them onto) on Flight 815?
Note that Ben's "Family" weren't really expecting Flight 815 on the day of the Book Club meeting and that it wasn't until after Mikhail's research that Ben knew the backgrounds of the survivors. So ... Ben didn't consciously bring them. Somebody (Jacob? ... The Island?) is using Ben.
Theory by Roland
