SOUL CONCEPT

In the trailer for the new Italian animated film, The Art of Happiness, it is postulated that there are only a finite number of human souls. Souls are then recycled in a seemingly endless array of new lives. It is inferred that perhaps those recycled souls begin to retain some of their past lives, which in a cumulative affect, would drive a person mad.

If that is the premise of the movie, it is an interesting, concise and clear story line anyone could follow.  It adds an element that our organic bodies, which are bio-chemical machines, are just that - - -  machines. It is the spiritual soul that is the actual "living" intellectual being that runs the human machine.

Bill Murray became intellectually and emotionally greater in Groundhog Day by the mere fact that he repeated the same day over and over again; the premise that time stood still for him drove him to the depths of madness until he came to terms with his plight.

LOST had its own seemingly immortal characters in the same perplexing situation of being an endless stream trapped in time and place.

Jacob is the prime example. He appeared to be the longest living resident on the island. He came ashore in vitro to be born on the island during the ancient Roman period. He and his brother lived into early adulthood, until Jacob caused his brother's death. As a result, Jacob spent thousands of years alone on the island - - - haunted by the smoke monster who took the appearance of his dead brother.
Jacob's and MIB's presence on the island was locked in stone. It had to drawn them into forms of cruel madness. Jacob wanted desperately to give up his guardianship position so he brought human souls to the island. MIB only wanted to leave the island - - - escape its bonds. But through the centuries they could never achieve any of their goals.  The situation always turned sour ("corrupted") and they would have to start again.

For some reason, Alpert was spared the wrath of MIB. He became Jacob's immortal liaison to the people brought to the island. Jacob would influence the visitors indirectly in order to find his replacement. MIB on the other hand did not want Jacob to achieve his goal, so he recruited the same visitors to sabotage Jacob's plan. MIB recruited Alpert to kill Jacob, but Jacob turned Alpert to his camp.

Alpert was another person trapped on the island via immortality. He spent centuries in the service of Jacob, watching people come to the island and perish. It is strange that Alpert was allowed to leave the island to recruit for Ben. Alpert always returned to the island. He never thought of escaping it. He was the one former human who knew the powers of the island first hand - - - because he never aged a day because of the island. Alpert never got a promotion for his service. He was always a messenger.
It was only after his contact with the 815 survivors that he found some desire to move on from his plight in the island.

One of the mysteries unanswered is what ever happened to Jacob, MIB or Alpert. Were they trapped human souls on a purgatory island? Were they always supernatural spirits whose sole purpose was to direct human souls in the after life? Or were they trapped in a direct but personal time warp? Or did their troubled souls get recycled into the sideways world?