The Smoke Monster Is A Quantum Computer by Gareth

I had to wait until I came up with a theory that actually made sense about the monster before posting...So here it is:

When Locke first meets the smoke monster in season one and describes to Jack that he has seen 'the eye of this island', what could he mean?

When Eko sees the monster for the first time, we see images of his memories flash before his eyes in the black cloud.

When Ben goes to get judged by the monster, we see Ben's memories of Alex flash before him.

When Kate and Juliet are running from the monster and hide in the trees, we see flashes of light, the implication being the monster is reading their minds.

The other occasions upon which we have seen the monster, we have seen it kill and attack people.

So what is the purpose of the monster and what is it's nature? Is it an independently conscious entity? Does it work for someone else?

I think the idea that the monster is a moral judge for the sake of it is flawed. When we see Eko die, the monster comes in the form of Yemi and rebukes Eko for his refusal to repent for his sins, then Eko is killed.

I believe the monster is a computer that uploads and downloads memories. The MIB is disembodied and his memories/consciousness are held within the quantum computer. I also think that the monster's reading of memories is to find a suitable candidate to download the 'MIB's' memories into.

When John Locke meets the monster for the first time, I believe John has MIB's memories downloaded into his own mind and that over the course of the show, John starts to remember more and more. So to all intents and purposes, Locke becomes a form of reincarnation.

So when Locke tell's Sun 'I assure you I am the same man I have always been.' he is telling the truth, he is John Locke, but he is John Locke with possibly thousands of years of memories.

Locke was the perfect candidate for this, the healing properties of the island enough to convince him he was special and had a unique communion with the island. The fact that he put the wellbeing of the island before anything else and would do whatever it took to keep the island safe.

When Ilyana says Frank could 'be a candidate', perhaps she means this in the same sense as Locke was a candidate, Locke perfectly fitted the agenda of the MIB, thus was perfect to receive the knowledge/memories stored within the monster in order to protect the island. After all, the 'MIB' seeks to keep people off the island as though he were the island's guardian. Jacob seems to like to interfere and fix things so I think we will find out the 'candidate' to inherit Jacob's memories/knowledge will be Jack.

All these memories stored within the Quantum computer that is the smoke monster, neither good nor evil.