MAN'S BEST FRIEND

How canines became man's best friend is one of evolution's great mysteries. Dogs are essentially domesticated wild animals. But at some point, mankind and dogs connected at a family level.

There had to be a mutual benefit. For a small family unit of hunter-gatherers, a dog with its keen senses, could help with safety and security of the camp against other wild animals or attacks from other clans. A dog could also be useful in the hunt to gather food. A dog could also be a comforting companion in the camp when the men were aware foraging for food or shelter materials. Dogs could also give the children a sense of love and play that we often see in nature specials with various canine pups.

From a dog's perspective, becoming part of a human family had its benefits as well. Humans were the top predator and dogs have an innate sense of hierarchy structure. Canines also have the instinct to bond with other members of their pack in a family structure of mutual support and protection. Those values are similar to those in the human family unit. That is why dogs and humans get along so well.

They may be different but at some core level they are the same.

In today's modern society, dogs continue to play an important role in people's lives. Dogs do provide a sense of security against strange noises in the middle of the night (especially if you are a single woman). Dogs do provide owners with unconditional loyalty and affection. Dogs also provide their owners with a sense of balance in their daily lives; a diversion against the normal grind. People need to impart themselves in a tangible way in order to feel good about themselves. Dog owners are kind, giving, generous and supportive of their pet's needs. A dog gives in return a non-judgmental, pure and unconditional love that feeds a personal's emotional state (heart and soul).

Dog owners tend to live healthier lives. According to WebMD, households who have pets have less frequency of allergies or breathing ailments.  Pet owners tend to have more opportunity for social engagements as they walk their dogs in parks. From a physical standpoint, pets require their owners to exercise more (through walks and household play).

Pet owners are far less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. The benefit is especially pronounced when people are strongly attached to their pets, according to several studies.

People in high stress positions or had high blood pressure who had pets had less stress and lower blood pressure than did people without pets. People in stress mode get a burst of harmful chemicals like cortisol and norepinephrine can negatively affect the immune system. Some of these chemicals are linked to plaque buildup in arteries which is a precondition for heart disease.

Like any enjoyable activity, playing with a dog can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine -- nerve transmitters that are known to have pleasurable and calming properties. Therefore, dogs have a natural healing element with the relationship with their owners. Dogs allow owners to have a sense of balance, purpose and a better quality of life than those without pets.

Human beings are social animals. Men and women need relationships in order be complete and fulfilled in their lives. Dogs and pets are not a full substitute for a lasting pair bond, but dogs do elevate the happiness factor in a person's life.

In LOST, Vincent was Walt's dog but in reality he was everyone's dog. He was a wandering presence throughout the island who would attach himself to anyone who really needed an unspoken friend. He was there when Walt lost his mother. He was there when Shannon lost her brother. He was there to silently comfort Jack in the end when Jack closed his eyes in the bamboo field for the final time.

A dog is a valued member of a family. When we lose a pet, we lose a family member. There is sadness. There is grief. Perhaps that is another basic reason man brought dogs into their family was to teach their children the cycle of life and death since pets lived shorter lives than men and women. The takeaway is that pets enrich and fulfill people's lives in an uncompromising way. And when they are gone, they are never forgotten. Their inner strength, affection and friendship is what remains forever in a dog owner's heart.

INTO THE LIGHT

Part of the evolution of man was the innate fear of the dark.  Man was not the alpha predator. There were various wild animals that could kill man. Many current top predators feed at night, when their prey are resting and cannot see properly.

One of the aspects of man's assent to the top of the food chain was the ability to gather in groups. Groups allowed for more eyes, ears and senses. There is truly safety in numbers. The more people who looked out for each other, the better. Once families merged with other families to create communities, tribes and later settlements, the fear of wild animal attacks subsided. But the fear did not go away, because in nature the competition for food and resources is always present. Fear of animals may have turned into fear of other tribes attacking for their resources.

One of the earliest safe guards to attack was the domestication of the wolf. Less aggressive wolves came to be trained by early man as canine protection devices. Dogs have more than 10 times the smell perception of humans. They also have keen eye tracking abilities. With the taming of dogs, man brought into his shelter the first "alarm" system. The dog would forewarn his master of trouble before the master could recognize it. It was a beneficial relationship, since the dog was fed and cared after by the tribe. Dogs would help man in hunts. This man-dog bond lasts to the present day.

Everyone knows dogs are man's best friends.

But in LOST, we are not so sure.

For some, Vincent, Walt's dog, was the only animal associated with the survivors. Yet, Vincent rarely did anything to protect Walt or the castaways. In reality, Vincent was briefly used as a conduit for the viewers to find the early characters, such as awakening Jack in the bamboo jungle, or to lead a character into the jungle (to be surprised by something like an Other or smoke creature). In all of the dangerous missions, including foraging for wild boar, Vincent was not part of any of those sojourns.

This is very "non-dog" like behavior.

Vincent really was not that close to Walt.  Once Walt left, Shannon took it upon herself to watch over him, but she was not very good at anything. And then Shannon died. He would eventually walk away to live with Rose and Bernard, who left the group to isolate themselves from the politics, danger and mistrust of the remaining beach castaways. In that regard, Vincent was pretty smart to find a new traditional "home" setting with Rose and Bernard.

But even Bernard scolded Vincent for not being a good guard dog.

In a few fan theories, Vincent is not really Walt's dog, but the smoke monster reflection of memories of Walt's dog. It would be a classic spy inside the enemy camp. No one would suspect a dog as a supernatural creature. It would explain why Ben had so much information on each castaway (not withstanding the reference to a large communication center that Patchy used to run). Information seemed to be the premium currency on the island, as both Jacob and MIB needed it to manipulate their followers.

If the island was truly a dark place, where lost souls had to shudder at the thought that their personal demons were in the shadows, then the only light of purity was Vincent. He seemed to be above all of the fray. He never attacked, nor was he attacked. He had the most freedom of any character. When he wandered off, no one seemed to mind (except Walt). But once Walt was gone, no one seemed to take a vested role in Vincent. Perhaps, it was symbolic that the people on the island were resigned to their fate that their freedom (and going home) was lost.  Only Vincent's actions kept alive even the impression of hope.

THE BACKGROUND CHARACTER

There was one thing that moved through the island stories in stealth mode: Vincent.

Walt's dog was the first to find and wake Jack after the crash.
Vincent was also the reason Michael tried to bond with his son by going into the jungle to find the lost dog.
Vincent was the one character that no one suspected of doing anything wrong.

But one clue that everyone missed first time around was this:

if Walt was so attached to Vincent, why did he not bring the dog with him on the raft?

If the one true rule of the island was that the smoke monster could not leave it - - - that could lead to an assumption that Vincent was NOT real, but a smoke monster in disguise. Which makes perfect sense if the smoke monster wanted to learn about the new humans on its island. What better way to gather intelligence than roaming through the camp listening to what everyone was saying. Vincent would have been the perfect spy.

We were introduced to Vincent in an odd way. Shortly after the crash. Vincent was searching the jungle. While doing this, he heard a whistle. It was Christian, who we would know later, was dead. And this Christian form was actually a smoke monster. He called Vincent over and told him to go wake up "his son." As Vincent ran off towards Jack to do this, Christian stated that Jack "had work to do." Vincent then continued running until he found Jack, who had just regained consciousness. As Jack awoke, he saw Vincent running towards him through the jungle and stopping to look at Jack. Vincent then continued exploring the jungle.

But since he had a "light" coat, perhaps Vincent was a manifestation of Jacob, who some believe was also a smoke monster due to his immortality and his inability to kill another smoke monster, MIB. Perhaps, both smoke monsters needed to awake, reincarnate or "save" a dead or dying Jack in order to fulfill their mutual desire to "die and leave the island."

We know that many "lost" souls remain trapped on the island (the whispers) including Michael. In the end, Vincent returns to the bamboo jungle to curl up next to dying Jack. Was this Jacob comforting Jack for taking the leadership role on the island - - - to direct his soul to the afterlife reunion?

Likewise, was Jacob in Vincent form attached Jack's dying soul from the plane crash into the island realm so it could be prepared for the after life?

REVIEW: THEORIES PART 6

This is still a popular theory/explanation for LOST: Dreams.

The whole show was an elaborate dream in the mind of one character.

The most likely candidate to be the series Dreamer would be Hurley. He had mental issues. He was a loner. He liked fantasy elements such as comic books and Star Wars. During the early seasons, ABC requested script changes because the story line was getting too clear that it was all in Hurley's head. It was around the time of the "Dave" episode, where Hurley had a "real" imaginary friend who tried to get Hurley to change, to rebel, to escape from the mental hospital. Later on, Dave re-appears on the island to try to convince Hurley that nothing he is experiencing is real; the island is fake; everything happening to him is a false - - - he is still back at the mental hospital. Dave tries to convince Hurley that he is dreaming by trying to convince him to jump off a cliff. Hurley is just about ready to jump, when Libby stops him.

Now, we learned that Libby was also a mental patient in the same day room as Hurley. However, on the island, Hurley never recognizes her. This is very strange considering that Hurley is extroverted when he is in  the hospital. He feels safe and secure at Santa Rosa. This allows him to relax and let his mind wander. Why Libby does not introduce herself to Hurley as a fellow patient is mysterious. Does she have an ulterior motive to keep Hurley "on" the island? Is she a devil on one shoulder whispering in Hurley's head while Dave is on the other shoulder?

But even if Hurley was shy around women, he would have still known about Libby at Santa Rosa because the day room was small and open. And because of that fact, Libby would have been a memory, a character, in Hurley's own mind.

And Hurley's mind contains more fantasy than educational science. It appears that Hurley never went beyond high school. He was in dead end fast food career path. This would explain the "sci-fi" nature of the LOST universe, its inconsistent theories and scientific applications, because the source material is found inside Hurley's limited knowledge bank.

Hurley could have won the lottery in real life. He could have had the curse of the Numbers. He could have gone to Australia for answers. And when he got onto Flight 815 after his long trip, he would have seen all the passengers in their seats. It would have been stored in his short term memory. He had been reading a comic book about a polar bear on a tropical island. That also would have been stored in his short term memory. And when Hurley fell asleep during the long flight, he would use those elements to construct a fantasy tale about the island and his fellow passengers.

How can one cram six years of events into a 15 hour flight from Sydney to LA? It is easy because when a person dreams (REM sleep), a six minute dream may seem to last for hours. It is compressed imagery that the mind can process faster than in real life. But how can a person control his dreams to make complex stories? Researchers have found that some people can "set up" or manage their dreams by creating various stories, with or without themselves as main components. Other dreamers let their mind wander so they can experience new things or nightmares. Dream researchers believe that sleep is an important component to brain and human body functions. The rest period allows the physical body to recover from a day's work. The brain also needs time to "reboot" and organize itself. Many areas of the brain have less activity during sleep, while the creative side has an increase in activity.

Also, researchers believe that dreams play an important role in people's lives. Some believe that dreams help a person understand themselves. The dreams can be symbolic problem solving, taking real world issues and run various "solutions" that a person could remember and use in the future.

So it is possible that a person with an active imagination could dream a complex action-adventure in his sleep. And the clues that Hurley was being guided by Dave to free himself from the mental institution grasp parallel the grasp that the island had on him. Remember, Hurley is the last person on the island standing when the series ends. As such, Hurley could be considered the real man behind the curtain.

But that would be countered by the fact that the story ended in the sideways church, with Jack as the focal point. But, we do not know whether it was truly real. It could have been a reunion of Hurley's "imaginary friends" just as much as real friends.

There is a corollary to the Dream theory.  I once proposed that it was not one person's dream, but a "collective, interactive" dream with all the 815 passengers. It would have been caused by the plane flying over the unique electromagnetic energy of the island, which could have altered the dream patterns of the sleeping passengers (since the human brain uses neurons and electric pulses to function). Under this theory, a person "dies" on the island (dream state) when he or she wakes up and is no longer connected to group. This also follows the unexplained concept of "awakening" in the sideways world. Awaken from what? People only awake from sleep - - - deep sleep or even day dreams where your subconscious takes over from your conscious state.

Then there is a third dream theory which seems strange. Instead of the whole story being in the mind of Hurley, it was all in the mind of the one survivor of the plane crash, Vincent. Vincent was the first "character" to move the story line forward in the pilot, and he was the last actor moving into position at the end.

Researchers believe that some animals do have dreams. Most land mammals experience the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep where dreams mainly occur, but since they don’t keep dream journals, scientists tested rats to see what was going on in their brains when they slept. According to a 2001 report, MIT researchers Daniel Bedore and Matt Wilson placed trained rats on a track and monitored their brain activity while they moved towards their edible reward. They then monitored the rats’ brain activity while they were in a REM cycle. After examining the data, they saw that some activity in a sleeping rat’s brain matched some of its waking activity. The identical patterns led the scientists to believe that not only were the rats dreaming, they were dreaming about running on the track.
Dr. Stanley Coren, a psychology professor and neuropsychological researcher, writes in his book How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind, that dogs also dream. Like rats, dogs dream about common scenes they have experienced in their waking lives. Dr. Coren also notes that the smaller a dog is, the more it will dream: a small dog, such as a toy poodle, may dream once every ten minutes, while a dog as large as a mastiff or an Irish wolfhound may spend an hour and a half between each dream.

So, Vincent's laying down next to Jack at the end may have actually been the beginning after Vincent had surveyed the debris. Man's best friend trying to keep the dead passengers alive, at least in spirit.

REBOOT: EPISODES 29-32

LOST REBOOT 
Recap: Episodes 29-32 (Days  47-48)

Hurley worries that his new job will make him the most unpopular person in camp. Sawyer, Jin and Michael learn that their captors are actually survivors from the tail section of the plane. Claire finds the message bottle from the raft, making her and Sun fear the worst. Sayid’s exploration of the Hatch raises suspicions.

The Tail Survivors trek back to the Island’s South Beaches but encounter trouble as Michael breaks off by himself to find his son, Walt. Meanwhile, at the main camp, Sun  is heartbroken as she realizes that she has lost her wedding ring.

When Shannon sees Walt in her tent, she becomes convinced that he needs her help. Meanwhile, Sawyer’s bullet wound starts to become infected, prompting the tail-section group to pick up their pace, and risk cutting across the jungle where the Others  attacked the Tailies before. Michael, Jin, Sawyer and Ana Lucia’s group journey towards the 815 camp. Shannon sees Walt and she is shot and dies in the arms of Sayid.

In “The Other 48 Days,” the story of the tail section survivors, from the moment of the crash to the "present day" on the Island is reviewed. Ana Lucia, realizing that she survived a plane crash, becomes the de facto leader of an eclectic group of survivors. However, the newly formed community is put through extreme stress as they become targeted in attacks by other people living on the Island.

Science:
Clinical psychology. Libby lies to at least two people about her background while at the Tail section camp. She said she was a clinical psychologist, and later a drop out psychology student. She was neither in the flashbacks, but a mental patient with Hurley.

Although modern, scientific psychology is often dated at the 1879 opening of the first psychological laboratory,  attempts to create methods for assessing and treating mental distress existed long before. The earliest recorded approaches were a combination of religious, magical and/or medical perspectives.  In the early 19th century, one could have his or her head examined, literally, using phrenology, the study of personality by the shape of the skull. Other popular treatments included the study of the shape of the face—and mesmerism,  a treatment by the use of magnets. Spiritualism and "mental healing" were also popular.

By the second half of the 1800s, the scientific study of psychology was becoming well-established in university laboratories. Although there were a few scattered voices calling for an applied psychology, the general field looked down upon this idea and insisted on "pure" science as the only respectable practice. This changed when Lightner Witmer treated a young boy who had trouble with spelling. His successful treatment was soon to lead to Witmer's opening of the first psychological clinic at Penn in 1896, dedicated to helping children with learning disabilities. Ten years later in 1907, Witmer was to found the first journal of this new field, The Psychological Clinic, where he coined the term "clinical psychology," defined as "the study of individuals, by observation or experimentation, with the intention of promoting change.”

The island itself is intentionally trying to promote change in the characters by pushing them toward events and mysteries to solve. The connection with the electromagnetic energy of the island, the experimental stations and the perception that the survivors are being “observed” by the Others, are all classic elements of clinical psychology.

Improbabilities:
Sawyer surviving septic shock from infected gunshot wound in the jungle with no antibiotics  or treatment for days.

Mysteries:

The “Other” Others. When Eko and Jin hide in the underbrush when a party of 12 “natives” crosses their path while searching for Michael, the rag cloth and barefoot Others included children, with the last one dragging along 815 survivor Emma’s teddy bear. There has been a debate of whether these people were part of Ben’s group or a splinter group since they were patrolling part of the island far away from the safety of the Barracks.

Cindy the Flight Attendant. Was she an Other on the plane, or was she taken hostage then brainwashed or infected to become an Other? She appeared to be genuinely happy when Bernard found the radio (means of rescue). And if she was a pre-crash Other, why did Ben said Goodwin as a spy? Why did she lie when she said Nathan was not on the plane, when he was? Was Cindy the one who created “the list?” For several seasons, fans then questioned where was Cindy and the captured children?!

Themes:

Crazy. Several mentions in these episodes of characters saying they are not “crazy.”  But in flashbacks, we know several were crazy, including Hurley and Libby.

Change. “Change is good,” says Island Locke. But in his past life, change and acceptance was extremely hard for Locke.

Mirror universe. The Tail Section story line is a mirror image of the 815 story line (which some fans believed was the beginning of major filler episodes).  Ana and Nathan’s power struggle is like Jack and Locke. Goodwin and Nathan as being spies in the camps.
 
Clues:

Apollo candy bars are a talismans of the Island magic. an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune or something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects.

Some characters showing ESP traits like Rose knowing Bernard is safe and alright. It may foreshadow the TPTB concept of “mental time travel” where a person’s mind, like Desmond’s, sees the future which affects his decisions in the present.

Ana tells Eko that there is “no survivors - - - this is our life, get used to it!”

Visions. Shannon sees “ghost” Walt numerous times, which she interprets as a warning of impeding danger, but in her end runs toward the danger.

When Kate takes a shower, she says the water had sulfur in it. Sulfur has been equated to the fire and brimstone symbolism of hell.

Discussion:

“Some have been thought brave because they were afraid to run away.”
-- Thomas Fuller

Every main character on Lost was running away from something in their flashback past life. How characters faced adversity in the past was by quitting, as in the backstories of Hurley at Mr. Cluck’s or Jin as the doorman. Negative reinforcement brings about negative results as part of self-loathing by a person.

The hard lesson to be learned by these individuals that change can be good, as Island Locke told Claire. If one separates flashbacks as its own life cycle realm, the island as its own life cycle realm, and the flash forward/sideways world (purgatory) as its own life cycle realm, one can see that the character’s inability to meet their fears in their flashback lives is being re-created on the island to see if the character can change. In Shannon’s example, when her father was killed in a car crash, she was left alone and felt worthless. On the island, after Boone is killed, she is left alone and feels worthless until Sayid makes a connection with her and she helps the survivors with the radio message. But when on the island she accepts the change of being Sayid, she is killed. It appears in the island time, once you answer your fear, you die - - - game over. In Sayid’s case, when Shannon is killed, his revenge and anger from his flashback life are amplified against Ana.

The Sayid-Nadia relationship was the hardest thing most fans had to deal with when in The End, Sayid wound up with Shannon in the after life. In reviewing the reruns, and separating each time as a separate existence, we can see why Sayid winds up with Shannon. In the first time period, Sayid as a boy has no real connection with Nadia, as she is in a higher class family. Sayid as an adult had no feelings for Nadia when she is captured and tortured, it is more a Nadia crush on him (or manipulation for freedom). So when Sayid is searching for Nadia in the Island time period, it is guilt not affection. In the sideways world, the past lives are re-created in purgatory as a “holding” life until the characters are “awakened” to the knowledge of their Island lives. In the sideways world, Sayid still does not have Nadia; he is on the outside looking in. But when he is awakened, he realizes the only woman he physically loved was Shannon, and that is the connection that allows both of them to move on together.

The idea that elements of a person past is being re-created and re-worked from the flashback world, to the island world to the sideways world is like moving characters through a maze of levels in a computer game (one theory of the Lost premise.) Or it is the journey of a “lost” soul which needs to meet and conquer the deepest fear in order to be enlightened and “change” in order to move forward to the next life (Egyptian after life type theory). In either case, the Island is the testing ground for the mental aspect of a person’s life.


Magical/Supernatural/Elements:

Vincent.  He is Walt’s yellow Labrador Retriever.  Vincent originally belonged to Brian,   Walt's adoptive father. After the crash, Walt’s concern was for his dog - -  a strong emotional memory. Shortly after the crash, Vincent, who had been in the luggage compartment,  was searching the jungle.. Whilst doing this, he heard a whistle. It was Christian, who told the dog to go wake up his son, Jack.  As Vincent ran off towards Jack to do this, Christian stated that Jack "had work to do.” Vincent then continued running until he found Jack, who had just regained consciousness. As Jack awoke, he saw Vincent running towards him through the jungle and stopping to look at Jack. Vincent then continued exploring the jungle.

Vincent has led survivors into highly emotional and dangerous situations. Vincent woke up the survivors with his barking. Michael and Walt didn't know what had caused this but it was revealed to be the boars invading the camp; they were attracted to the scent of the dead corpses in the plane.(A symbolic theme of life from death)

Whilst trekking through the jungle, Vincent detected something and started to bark. As the sound of rustling in the jungle got louder, Vincent suddenly barked madly. Walt was unable to keep hold of Vincent, and he ran away. Walt chased after him, dropping the dog’s leash in the process. When Walt got rescued by his father and Locke from a polar bear later on, Walt told Locke that Vincent had run away. However Locke assured him that he would come back, just as he did before.

Vincent was chased by Michael in the jungle yet another time, which caused Michael to find Sun burying her secret driver’s license.  When Michael tried to comfort her, they nearly kissed, which would upset the Sun-Jin dynamic, but Vincent showed up barking just at that moment.

When Walt left with Michael to seek rescue on the raft, he placed Vincent in the care of Shannon so she would “not be alone.” Vincent initially tried to swim after the raft after it launched, but he shortly returned to the shore. In the following days, Vincent served as a source of comfort and distraction for Shannon, who had recently suffered the loss of her step-brother, Boone. (The Dog as nexus of point of death.)

At the caves, Vincent disappeared into the jungle, Shannon went after him saying she  couldn't lose the dog, as it was the only thing that someone asked her to do. So Shannon and Sayid ventured in the jungle to look for him. They found Vincent sitting in the jungle. When they attempted to catch him, Vincent ran off, and Shannon ran after him. She then heard whispers and saw a dripping wet Walt, who disappeared when Sayid came towards her with Vincent. The question is whether Vincent is shape shifting into illusions and/or is the agent to drive characters to event points in the Island time line.

Shannon continued caring for Vincent, right up until her sudden death, which was caused by her racing in the jungle trying to find the dog.  Before her second vision of Walt she fed Vincent. After Shannon saw Walt a second time, she attempted to use Vincent to track him by smelling Walt's shirt but he led her to Boone’s grave. He then led Shannon into the jungle but ran off just before her death. Later, Vincent returned to the beach to see Michael had returned and was reunited with him.
Egyptians were already burying dogs in the same way they buried humans with plenty of goods for the afterlife. In dynastic Egypt, dog mummies were made with great care and expense. At Hardai, the sacred city of the god Anubis there are sprawling dog cemeteries.When thinking of dogs as deities few come to mind as quickly as  Anubis, the god of the underworld, at times is represented clearly as a dog, at other times he appears more like a jackal.  Anubis was one of the most ancient of Egyptian gods closely associated with funerary rites and the afterlife. He was guide to the dead and the one who weighted the souls of the deceased against the feather of Maat (truth and order). Socrates referred to Anubis when he swore "by the Dog of Egypt."

In the End, Vincent does not leave the Island but remains by Jack’s side. If Vincent is the manifestation of an underworld entity “leading” souls through their personal journeys, it would explain the underlying premise of the show.
Last lines in episodes:

EP 29:

MICHAEL: Okay, it's okay. She's good.
[Shot of Rose putting an Apollo bar in her pocket, holding Bernard's ring and smiling.]

EP 30:
JIN: [handing Sun her bag]
In Korean: Here you are.
[Then they gaze into each other's eyes. And it's love at first sight.]
[On-Island - Sun on the beach crying and happy and scared.]

EP 31:
SAYID: Shannon! Shannon.
[Shannon turns around to reveal a wound in her gut. She collapses into Sayid's arms and dies. Then we see Ana standing there with the gun. And shocked looks on Jin and Michael's faces. Sayid looks like he has murder in his heart looking at Ana.]

EP 32:
ANA LUCIA: You think they're okay? Let's find out. Hit me.

New Ideas/Tests of Theories:

Three realms of premise to consider: Reality-Survival. Surreality-Fantasy. Death-After Life Journey.

If total reality, as Robinson Caruso meets the Lord of the Flies action-adventure drama of surviving on a deserted island; the premise is simple: what would you do as part of the castaways?

But with references to The Numbers, curses, mysteries, and crazy mental torment, a Stephen King world of horror-fantasy could explain that the unknowing participants are test subjects in cruel human experiments to test good, evil and free will.

But with supernatural elements quickly imposed on the Island, that would change the premise dramatically. In death, if one does not let go the baggage of their past life, they can not move forward toward heaven. It is a simplistic notion of the after life is not a good vs. evil punishment place, but a place where one conquers their personal fears head on, accepts them and then changes their personality for the better. Example, Hurley. He is an introverted, overweight person who sees his life as a dead end. He must divert to fantasy because he cannot cope at times with reality. He has been institutionalized in a mental facility. But the agent of change in his flashback world is the lottery ticket. Instead of embracing the change of wealth, he hides the secret and the Numbers mean that he is cursed by endless bad luck. He goes further into a shell because he cannot cope with the thought of success. On the island, he becomes more extroverted until he is tested with the inventory of the Hatch pantry. He realizes that everyone will “hate” him as the food czar. It is this change he cannot accept. He turns a positive event into a negative reality.

An ancillary theory was developed that the whole Island was Leonard Sims’ Mental Home for imaginary friends. Leonard was a long time patient at the mental hospital where Hurley and Libby were in-patients. He had the means to observe all the other patients, and had access to other areas such as psych/prison ward. All these faces, memories, stories could be jumbled together to create a layered mental illness fantasy place nightmare that is LOST. Leonard was lost in his own mind, and kept bringing in elements from his life in the hospital into dark island setting. It is the mirror image of the ghost elements that the 815 survivors see on the island as illusions. In a reversal, the 815 characters are the illusions in Leonard’s head. And the sudden “they lived happily ever after” ending to the series in the church, is the type of child like fantasy story a mentally challenged person like Leonard could create to cope or end his nightmare.

Leonard had to have been probed by medical specialists for years. He was aware of the techniques, protocols, experiments and theories that were given to him. From the studies conducted on himself, Leonard could internally reverse those same principles to create his own fantasy world to the study of individuals he met or observed at the hospital, and put them through various journeys to see if they could “change.” For this could be the only way Leonard himself could change and end his own mental problems  was to have closure for all his important imaginary friends through the use of foundational elements of clinical psychology.

POSTING NOTE: Due to work changes, I may not be able to post updates on Tuesdays after Monday night marathon G4 reruns, but updates will occur later in the week.

VINCENT

In reference to the importance of Vincent in the final story line:

Cats are mostly associated with the royals in Egypt, but dogs do have an important place in that society, as hunting dogs, shepards, guard dogs and pets.

Dogs were reflected in their gods, including Anubis, who is shown with the head of a jackal. A jackal is a desert wild canine, a bottom feeder who would dig up graves. They used those observations to symbolize a dog's role in the after life.

Anubis was not a god of the dead, in the sense that he was the ruler of the underworld, he was the god who supervised the embalming and burial of the deceased and who guided the dead to the underworld. The symbol of the "dog" seems to have been associated with the notion of "guiding."

Wepwawet, another canine god, is often represented on the bough of a boat, leading the way. The name Wepwawet means "the one who opens the ways," I think this may describe Vincent when Ghost Christian told Vincent to wake up Jack after the original plane crash.

Once in the underworld, Anubis, assisted by the god Thoth, supervises the weighing of the heart of the deceased. Only when the deceased's heart was found to be in balance with all that was as it should be, Maat, was he introduced to Osiris.

Anubis was also the guardian of the necropolis or cemetery. He was also described as the "lord of the cave", where "cave" refers to the tomb.