Purgatory Theory - The island is purgatory and you have to battle your sins and overcome your fears before you can leave/pass on.
Compound Name Theory - The character Alvar Hanso is named after two actual scientists Hannes Alven and Hans Oersted, who predicted Earth would endure an electromagnetic disaster.
Theorist Theory - John Locke's character can be compared with political theorist John Locke.
Reincarnation Theory - Where do babies go when they die? Immaculate Conception? Many children may have died at or just after birth, including Locke, Ben, Aaron.
Angelic Dog Theory - It is suggested that yellow labs, like Vincent, are clairvoyant and are guardian angels. In the pilot, ghost Christian did tell Vincent to go wake up Jack.
Fateful Boys Theory - Bad things always surround the two boys Walt and Aaron, for whom the Others kidnapped or tried to kidnap because they were "special" as the island had infertility issues.
Mystery Dad Theory - Claire's boyfriend, Thomas, might be fathered by another character, like Widmore.
"Valenzetti Equation” Theory - The numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 from the Sri Lanka video), hieroglyphics and “Valenzetti Equation” have to do with the apocalyptic end of planet Earth.
Black Fog Theory - Similarities have been drawn between "The Smoke Monster" and "Tulpa” (a Tibetan mythical being of materialized thought, created by willpower that takes a physical form).
King King Theory - Stephen King used the “Tulpa” myth in his story “It” and his novel "Carrie," which was introduced as a book club selection for the Others.
Greek Mythology Theory - Many things to do with “Lost” and the Hanso Foundation have some Greek references, including: the Apollo Candy, the Hydra station and the hatch as Pandora's Box.
Egyptian Afterworld Theory - The hieroglyphs within the countdown timer could be translated as "to cause to die” and "underworld."
Amazing Grace Theory - The plot of the show is closely related to the lyrics of the song “Amazing Grace.” -- “The characters in 'Lost' are 'found,' the closer this serialized saga gets toward it's inevitable, natural, end."
Latin Psychic Theory - The blast door map has Latin writing that can be translated as "He is made worse by his cure / medicine" and "It's a bad plan that can't be changed."
Coach's corner discussing each 2007 theory:
Purgatory Theory - This was my initial gut reaction after viewing the pilot episode. It made sense then, and it still makes sense now (even with TPTB denials). When we add in the Egyptian afterlife images, the story arcs of redemption and death, this theory is still plausible.
Compound Name Theory - It is interesting to note that "hidden" characters like Alvar Hanso has not come up in the LOST plot discussions for years. It used to be the key to try to unravel the clues about Dharma, which has fallen by the wayside as a major component to the mystery. There has been so many tangents on whether names of characters have any material relevance in explaining the mysteries of the show, that the shear weight of speculation dooms it as a reality.
Theorist Theory - John Locke's character can be compared with political theorist John Locke. Locke defined the self as "that conscious thinking thing, (whatever substance, made up of whether spiritual, or material, simple, or compounded, it matters not) which is sensible, or conscious of pleasure and pain, capable of happiness or misery, and so is concerned for itself, as far as that consciousness extends" He did not "substance", writing that "the body too goes to the making the man." One's self is therefore a self-aware and self-reflective consciousness that is fixed in a body. Locke explained the gradual unfolding of this "conscious mind." Locke believed that an "empty" mind is shaped by experience; sensations, reflections to bring about all of our ideas. Most of the characters are self-absorbed individuals. An early theory that the characters were in a collective conscious mind of another person or entity was dismissed as being an oversimplification if the layers of the story lines meant anything. The concept of mind over matter was also the basis that this entire elaborate construct was merely in the mind of a mental patient (Hurley), or a call back to the Star Trek episode, "The Cage."
Reincarnation Theory - This has resurfaced with the "sideways" story line, in an effort to explain why there is a new arc which appears if flight 815 did not crash land on the island. This "what if" explanation is very troublesome because it either negates all of the first five seasons if true, or if truly a tangent, wasteful filler to the main story arc. Some believe that that the "reincarnation" is a better term than a Purgatory theory, and could explain why dead characters like Charlie can show up later in the flesh and slap Hurley at Santa Rosa mental hospital.
Angelic Dog Theory - Vincent is one of the characters who is lost the past two seasons. He was the companion of a "special child, Walt" who was a focal point for the first two seasons. But since then, Vincent has played no role in the character missions, or time fooms.
Fateful Boys Theory - People try to tie back in a time travel loop which puts Walt and Aaron back as the Jacob and MIB roles. Ever since the Dharma arc closed, and the Others dispersed, the question of children being "special" has been lost; the "infertility" issue being a major component of Ben's leadership agenda a non-issue. In the pre-pilot pitch, LOST was to be a story about two brothers, one rich and one poor, one favored and one disfavored by their father, and how they would compete among themselves to build a new island society. It is hard to conceive that this basic premise will play out in the end here. The only other fateful sibling story line that may have merit is under the Egyptian myth below.
Mystery Dad Theory - One of the early "daddy issue" was who were the "bad dads" that messed up the characters lives. We sort of know now through the flash backs most of the childhood dynamics of the characters parents. Of the 815ers, there is no big final reveal or surprise of a mystery father lurking in the jungle, especially as a determinative climax to the show.
"Valenzetti Equation” Theory - The rush to stop the apocalyptic end of planet Earth would have been a noble mission of our heroic and clueless characters, but it seems that the Numbers have been displaced from a paramount position of mystery into a miscellaneous Jacob's index card numbering system. It seems that as the show winds down, a Darwin "survival of the fittest" or everyman for himself is becoming a driving force.
Black Fog Theory - Mythical beings of materialized thought, created by willpower that takes a physical form can be a way of now describing Smokey-MIB. We still do not know what is MIB--- he has taken on Locke's form (but not his body), and can transmute into a smoke monster that cannot be injured by conventional weapons. The idea of an alien, superhuman, advanced technology as being the foundation for the story was the farthest from the roots of the viewers, who believed that show was first based as a drama, a science show, then has creeped into science-fiction and now supernatural myth.
King King Theory - Stephen King has been used as a possible explanation or inspiration for the complex maze of mysteries thrown at the audience, but it would be a disappointment at this stage if the climax of the show is deemed a "luke warm Steven King" novel (rip-off).
Greek Mythology Theory - Many Greek myths deal with powerful gods, bored with their supernatural state, going down to Earth to mess up the inferior human race with plagues, wars, conquests of flesh, and vengeful punishment for those who do not properly worship them. But the biggest Greek connection could be Platos', Atlantis, the lost advanced civilization which could be the basis for much of the advanced scientific references in the show.
Egyptian Afterworld Theory - The story of Osiris is that his brother Set killed him in order to control the kingdom of Egypt. He cut up his body into pieces and scattered them. Osiris wife and sister reconstructed the parts, and through magic, reincarnated Osiris as the lord of the underworld. Osiris son, Horus, then avenged his father by defeating Set. This family dynamic tale could be retold as a battle not for the world of Egyptian Earth, but a battle between Set and Osiris for control of the kingdom of the underworld.
Amazing Grace Theory - The funeral song to mourn the passing of souls, and possible redemption in the next life, has been a theme throughout the show. Desmond was fond of saying "see you in another life." Any quest through purgatory, the after life, Garden of Eden, a nexus point in time-space between realms of good and evil, or Hades are plausible explanations for the show premise.
Latin Psychic Theory - The blast door map has Latin writing that can be translated as "He is made worse by his cure / medicine" and "It's a bad plan that can't be changed." It also made reference to flee this Hell. The blast door was another one of those highly detailed background clues that has been lost as the seasons rolled on. It referenced Smokey as a Cerberus, and charted its locations. It also showed that there was a sense of despair, that the occupants knew their fate was sealed in the hatch. It is sort of bleak ending scenerio: life is about death, and in life there is nothing you can do to change the end.
