Author Victor Hugo wrote, "There is nothing like a dream to create the future."
In Dream Theory, your subconscious mind recreates worlds in which to run simulations, fantasies and comparisons with data collected by your conscious mind. This duality or mirror image of information is used by humans to frame future references, categorize experiences and hard wire memories.
The signals get crossed when the subconscious mind escapes from the darkness of the dream state and into the light of reality.
Escape, such as the release of the huge "purple wave" when the Numbers were not put into the computer in time. The Numbers, a sequence of digits to be imputed by rote into the operator's mind. It is symbolic of counting numbers backward in order to fall under anesthesia or like counting sheep in order to achieve slumber.
Once the subconscious mind bleeds over into the real cognitive operations of the mind, one may become unstable, delusional, paranoid, extremely introverted, isolated or angry at the harsh inconsistencies between what should be (as found in the dream state) and what is (reality).
There were many fan theories about LOST which centered on the fact that Hurley was the key character who was always around the action, but never got hurt. Why? Because in the dream state, the person's build in primal safety mechanisms of instinct and reaction will not allow you to get hurt. And if you live in the dream state long enough, you can begin to control it - - - and its perceived outcome. Once you believe you can control your own destiny, you can stand by the sidelines and watch the action knowing that since you created it, you cannot get hurt.
Not getting hurt is another basic human defense system. No one outwardly goes forward in life wanting to hurt themselves, either physically or emotionally. People try to connect at deep, interpersonal levels, to help to cope with the pressures, struggles and pain of normal life activities and relationships. Families are the first and foremost bonds of safety and companionship. But if that bond is weakened or broken early in life, a child may rush to the safety of his own dream state in order to cope with a terrible loss.
Hurley did so when his father left him. His abandonment issues were never resolved in the pre-island world of reality. One could speculate that the island, with a broad base of strange people, was created by Hurley's dream state in order to find permanent replacement friends to fill the void of his lost father since as a child he decided he did not have a future without a father figure to guide him.
Hurley was the one character that got along with everyone on the island, which is a statistical improbability unless Hurley predetermined he would get along with everyone on the island. It is the self-fulfilling prophecy which in itself is a self-directed con, or cheat. He created great, lively, charismatic imaginary friends in order to create a fun, adventurous future for himself (a loser with no ambition or prospects in real life).
In this context, LOST is really a sad, sad story of a young man escaping his own reality in order to hide in his subconscious dream state.
Showing posts with label worlds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worlds. Show all posts
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
TWO LOSTS
There is a position in the LOST universe that says that the fans who hated The Ending never understood it. Or that they were never real fans of the show. Or they expected too many answers to the questions posed in the story lines.
In order to justify this viewpoint, it is said that the final season of LOST was its own universe, its own independent story - - - its own self-contained bubble. It's features and attributes do not reflect what was happening in the island world. In other words, the fact that the characters in the sideways world were dead did not mean that the characters were dead all along. But that in itself is only a supposition.
Except, there were connections between the two worlds. In the sideways world, it was a character's "awakening" that flooded back island memories to re-bond with lost friends and lovers.
But if you do want to separate LOST into two distinct, independent stories, here is what you get:
THE ISLAND world would apparently have ended with Juliet detonating the bomb, killing everyone on the island. Or, as the science would tell, you can't detonate an atomic bomb with a rock (there needs to be a complex chain reaction explosion to detonate a nuclear device), so the bomb did not work. That would mean the island characters were still "alive" and battling among themselves in the Jacob-MIB feud.
THE SIDEWAYS world would be totally different. For example, none of the characters were ever in a plane crash or lived on the island. They were normal people with normal problems. Ben was a school teacher taking care of his disabled father. Locke was a disabled substitute teacher who was happily married to Helen. Jack was divorced but from Juliet. He had a son. Hurley was a successful businessman after winning the lottery; a confident community leader. Sun and Jin had made it to the US. She was expecting their child.
Now, complete separation of the characters time lines has to be part of any independent universe view. In the linear story telling of the show, the sideways events happened AFTER the island events. And that creates a clear paradox. The children were born in the prior island time, but were not born in the sideways world until the end. And the End was a place of death so how can children be born in the sideways world? Again, the theory that the sideways is self-contained means it is not fair to ask that broad question.
Then you have to look at LOST as two franchises. The island and first 5 seasons were the original. The sideways episodes were the "re-boot" of the franchise (as JJ Abrams did with Star Trek). But that seems too confusing and inconsistent with what the show writers were telling fans at the end of Season 5.
One could divide the worlds into one where the gritty danger of real life engulfs a person with one where a person's dreams and imagination of a perfect life controls. If you take the sideways world as the collective dreams of the island characters, folding it like whipped cream into a cake batter, then you would discount Season 6 as mainly unimportant filler.
If, as some fans thought at the time, the sideways world was truly a glimpse of the characters if Flight 815 did not crash, then that would be fine . . . . until the point when the writers merged the fantasy with the island "awakenings" and the poor choices to conclude the series, such as Sayid embracing his alleged soul mate, Shannon, instead of Nadia. In fact, the whole structure of Season 6 was premised upon Eloise trying to keep Desmond and Penny a part in the sideways world - - - because she knew it would open a Pandora's box of memories to the characters which would cause her son, Daniel, to remember how cruel she was to him.
The two LOSTs explanation is one way of looking at the series. Two distinct character studies of the cast members. But that is a dry, academic explanation. And really unnecessary. If you wanted to show the good and moral side of a character, such as Ben, you could have made those changes in the island world story. You could have had the characters leave the island and try to adapt to LA instead of creating a conflicting, parallel universe.
LOST was one show and one series. It has to be accepted as being one, complete, and coherent story. The last part is what continues to cause fans the most problems. The blanket explanation that the show was only about the characters and their actions and reactions to events is shotgun logic. It does not explain the important mysteries the writers gave us to solve. It does not give closure. It just keeps fans debating the merits of the ending.
In order to justify this viewpoint, it is said that the final season of LOST was its own universe, its own independent story - - - its own self-contained bubble. It's features and attributes do not reflect what was happening in the island world. In other words, the fact that the characters in the sideways world were dead did not mean that the characters were dead all along. But that in itself is only a supposition.
Except, there were connections between the two worlds. In the sideways world, it was a character's "awakening" that flooded back island memories to re-bond with lost friends and lovers.
But if you do want to separate LOST into two distinct, independent stories, here is what you get:
THE ISLAND world would apparently have ended with Juliet detonating the bomb, killing everyone on the island. Or, as the science would tell, you can't detonate an atomic bomb with a rock (there needs to be a complex chain reaction explosion to detonate a nuclear device), so the bomb did not work. That would mean the island characters were still "alive" and battling among themselves in the Jacob-MIB feud.
THE SIDEWAYS world would be totally different. For example, none of the characters were ever in a plane crash or lived on the island. They were normal people with normal problems. Ben was a school teacher taking care of his disabled father. Locke was a disabled substitute teacher who was happily married to Helen. Jack was divorced but from Juliet. He had a son. Hurley was a successful businessman after winning the lottery; a confident community leader. Sun and Jin had made it to the US. She was expecting their child.
Now, complete separation of the characters time lines has to be part of any independent universe view. In the linear story telling of the show, the sideways events happened AFTER the island events. And that creates a clear paradox. The children were born in the prior island time, but were not born in the sideways world until the end. And the End was a place of death so how can children be born in the sideways world? Again, the theory that the sideways is self-contained means it is not fair to ask that broad question.
Then you have to look at LOST as two franchises. The island and first 5 seasons were the original. The sideways episodes were the "re-boot" of the franchise (as JJ Abrams did with Star Trek). But that seems too confusing and inconsistent with what the show writers were telling fans at the end of Season 5.
One could divide the worlds into one where the gritty danger of real life engulfs a person with one where a person's dreams and imagination of a perfect life controls. If you take the sideways world as the collective dreams of the island characters, folding it like whipped cream into a cake batter, then you would discount Season 6 as mainly unimportant filler.
If, as some fans thought at the time, the sideways world was truly a glimpse of the characters if Flight 815 did not crash, then that would be fine . . . . until the point when the writers merged the fantasy with the island "awakenings" and the poor choices to conclude the series, such as Sayid embracing his alleged soul mate, Shannon, instead of Nadia. In fact, the whole structure of Season 6 was premised upon Eloise trying to keep Desmond and Penny a part in the sideways world - - - because she knew it would open a Pandora's box of memories to the characters which would cause her son, Daniel, to remember how cruel she was to him.
The two LOSTs explanation is one way of looking at the series. Two distinct character studies of the cast members. But that is a dry, academic explanation. And really unnecessary. If you wanted to show the good and moral side of a character, such as Ben, you could have made those changes in the island world story. You could have had the characters leave the island and try to adapt to LA instead of creating a conflicting, parallel universe.
LOST was one show and one series. It has to be accepted as being one, complete, and coherent story. The last part is what continues to cause fans the most problems. The blanket explanation that the show was only about the characters and their actions and reactions to events is shotgun logic. It does not explain the important mysteries the writers gave us to solve. It does not give closure. It just keeps fans debating the merits of the ending.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
THE INTERNET AND PAIN
"I love the Internet because every piece of true pain I've experienced
as an adult — with the exception of death in the family and breakups —
has come from it." - - - actress Lena Dunham
When a public figure acknowledges that the world around her is a painful place, but then accepts the pain as being part of her public life, there is some profound truth that rises to the surface of our collective intelligence.
The Internet is a vast, open world. But it really is a tool, a utility, to help people communicate thoughts and ideas. However, it has turned into a dark space where trolls, haters, criminals and weak-minded prey on the lives of more fortunate people. High school bullying has gone from the playground to the global stage.
Since the Internet is an all-consuming place, people can get lost in this world just as an intense gamer can get lost for days or weeks in a open world multi-player epic console game.
Then the lines of reality and virtual reality blur.
People need connections to other people. People need real connections to other people, and not virtual, cliche or fake connections. Friends are different than acquaintances, but on the web more and more people fall into the latter category because they don't do anything else together expect exchange messages or photo tags.
Since the daily interaction with the network and the people who you friend becomes more important, the ability to hurt one another grows exponentially. People can be meaner because you don't have to be face-to-face to hurt someone. There is a growing segment of people out on the net with the sole purpose to hurt other people (most people they don't even know.)
There was a recent line from Dr. Who which is applicable here. "Hate is such a strong emotion that it should not be wasted on people you dislike."
Think about that.
If someone or something causes you pain, why continue to interact with it? Because someone or something (like the internet) has woven itself into your core principles, it occupies the center of your mind and thoughts, it makes you a complete being and it defines who you are as a person.
Life is filled with ups and downs, pain and pleasure. The management of those emotional highs and lows is what separates the good from the bad, from those who can cope and those in despair, those who hide from the world from those who live life to the fullest despite the painful pitfalls that the future may hold.
When a public figure acknowledges that the world around her is a painful place, but then accepts the pain as being part of her public life, there is some profound truth that rises to the surface of our collective intelligence.
The Internet is a vast, open world. But it really is a tool, a utility, to help people communicate thoughts and ideas. However, it has turned into a dark space where trolls, haters, criminals and weak-minded prey on the lives of more fortunate people. High school bullying has gone from the playground to the global stage.
Since the Internet is an all-consuming place, people can get lost in this world just as an intense gamer can get lost for days or weeks in a open world multi-player epic console game.
Then the lines of reality and virtual reality blur.
People need connections to other people. People need real connections to other people, and not virtual, cliche or fake connections. Friends are different than acquaintances, but on the web more and more people fall into the latter category because they don't do anything else together expect exchange messages or photo tags.
Since the daily interaction with the network and the people who you friend becomes more important, the ability to hurt one another grows exponentially. People can be meaner because you don't have to be face-to-face to hurt someone. There is a growing segment of people out on the net with the sole purpose to hurt other people (most people they don't even know.)
There was a recent line from Dr. Who which is applicable here. "Hate is such a strong emotion that it should not be wasted on people you dislike."
Think about that.
If someone or something causes you pain, why continue to interact with it? Because someone or something (like the internet) has woven itself into your core principles, it occupies the center of your mind and thoughts, it makes you a complete being and it defines who you are as a person.
Life is filled with ups and downs, pain and pleasure. The management of those emotional highs and lows is what separates the good from the bad, from those who can cope and those in despair, those who hide from the world from those who live life to the fullest despite the painful pitfalls that the future may hold.
Monday, December 9, 2013
JACK'S WORLDS
“ No man is able to make progress when he is wavering between opposite things. ”
— Epictetus
As a follow up on the last post, there is something to be said that Jack was caught in a trap.
Jack was a man by all appearances to have a great career, special skills, admired by colleagues, wealthy and stable. He had an even temperament even in times when miracles were needed for his patients. In some ways, he was a constant dreamer.
But outside his public persona, Jack had his own demons. He had a hard time coping with women; his personal relationships would sour; and he had an addictive streak towards alcohol and drugs as a means of escape. And it appears he tried to escape - - - after his divorce, he went on a bender to Thailand to meet an exotic woman. Why a skilled spinal surgeon would flee his career to to go island native is unexplained.
So during Jack's life, he lived in two separate worlds. The world of medicine where he sought acceptance by his father, and the dream world where his personal life would be perfect. Jack was a perfectionist. He had to be when cutting around a person's spinal cord. But those skills would never transfer to his interpersonal skills.
Next, Jack gets trapped between two worlds on the island. He is an important focal point for the survivors: he has the medical skills to keep them alive and well while they waited for rescue. Jack also gave the aura of being a calming presence which led his fellow passengers to push an uncomfortable leadership role on him. At the same time, he wanted to run away from the responsibility and accountability. He saw people like Kate and Sawyer who had little cares except for their own well being. He must have been envious of their personal freedom as Jack spent his entire life studying and mastering science to get his father to notice him. After a while, the island did give Jack the opportunity to explore his wild side - - - get outside his comfort zone, and lead adventurous missions as a commander.
But once he left the island, Jack broke down mentally. He turned into a shell of his former self: needy, greedy, alone, disheveled, and on the brink of suicide. But apparently at the same time, his soul was running through an opposite world where Jack had a very stable and content after life in the sideways world where he had a relationship with his son.
The concept that the series was really about Jack's mind bouncing back and forth between various worlds is intriguing because Jack's eye is the beginning and the end of the show. The conflict was not with other people or smoke monsters, but the real conflict was within Jack himself.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
JACK'S BACK
In our continuing discussion of the sideways world actually coming first in real after life time to that of the island world, how does this affect the central character of Jack?
In the sideways after life, Jack is still a brilliant surgeon who wants to fix every patient, including those who need "a miracle." Jack is divorced from a fellow doctor, Juliet. He lives with teenage but estranged son, David. It seems like the typical suburban LA family life.
He still has relationship issues to work out. He has problems with his father. He has mirrored those issues with his own son, David, by having his professional duties take precedence over family matters.
When Jack landed on the island, what issues did he have to work out? We must down play his alleged lack of leadership (to make the life and death decisions) because as a trauma surgeon, he led his teams through those decisions on a daily basis. The main focus of his attention beyond mere survival was finding a final connection with his dad because Ghost Christian haunted him. One could think that the island's series of tests was to put Jack into Christian's shoes, but that really is not the case.
In the island world, Jack has similar but more serious problems. Yes, he is divorced from Sarah but he has no children. She has quickly moved on to a new husband to start her family. Jack is angry about being alone and depressed; he turns to alcohol and drugs which ruins his professional standing and draws him close to suicide. Clearly, Jack is worst off in the island world than in the sideways world.
Are the island demons Jack's subconscious feelings that need to be conquered and tamed? They seem fairly tamed in the sideways world so there must be a different answer.
What Jack lacks in both worlds is a true soul mate. Someone has stubborn, argumentative and loyal that he is. But does the island world give him an opportunity to work out his relationship issues with women to the point where he finds bliss? This is debatable. We have various women thrown in Jack's romantic path, including Juliet, Kate, Achara, and Sarah. None of them ended well. Even after defeating MIB, Kate did not stay by mortally wounded Jack. No, Kate left with Sawyer to find the plane to leave the island and Jack behind. That was Kate's choice.
If the island was a proving ground for something missing in Jack's after life soul, what was it?
It is not as clear cut as Juliet and Sawyer's awakening and rekindling of their island romance.
It is less black and white of the polarization of Ben's relationships with Danielle in the island versus sideways worlds.
Was it all the personal sacrifices Jack made on or to the Island that led him to a revelation about himself? No lesson was learned because Jack sacrificed himself like he sacrificed himself to save others in his real life. Jack's general personality did not change between worlds.
Was it as simple as finding out people do get "second chances" and things are not "fixed" in time or space? This would explain his rocky relationship with Kate, its on and off head butting on and off the island, to the non-contact with her until the very end at the church. Jack had no relationship with Kate in the sideways world but connected with her for the next level of the after life. Kate always said she'd have Jack's back. And in the final sense, she would take him back, this time forever.
But the one concern with Sideways Jack is his love and devotion to his son, David. But since we know the sideways world is inhabited by dead souls, who was David? Was he a figment of Jack and Juliet's imaginations? He does not fit into a piece to be worked out in the island realm. He does not figure into the finale either. Jack never asks Christian "where is David?" There is no rule against "moving on" with your children (Claire and Aaron; Christian with his two children). So David is an anomaly in the sideways time is first theory. If Jack's real desire was to a have a normal, stable family life with a wife and child, then that dream is never fulfilled. However, if Jack's dream was to be released from responsibility and commitment (themes of the island world), then death would be the only answer, i.e. the sideways world. Jack's meeting his dead father "in person" awoke him to the notion that his life was over. But at that moment, he did not know who was in the church except Kate.
What did the people in the church give Jack during his island time that he failed to find in the sideways world? Friendship.
Friendship is the emotions or conduct of friends; a state of mutual trust and support.
The island proving ground did give Jack the opportunity, in a non-medical setting like a hospital, to learn to trust and support other people. To seek judgment, opinions, and options from other people. To argue, make decisions, and make mistakes. And through all those arguments, decisions, mistakes and events, people did not turn their backs to him. Jack learned how to make lasting friendships. And in many respects, it was a mutual experiment for characters like Locke and Boone. The bonds of friendship is what Jack's soul was missing in its real life.
In the sideways after life, Jack is still a brilliant surgeon who wants to fix every patient, including those who need "a miracle." Jack is divorced from a fellow doctor, Juliet. He lives with teenage but estranged son, David. It seems like the typical suburban LA family life.
He still has relationship issues to work out. He has problems with his father. He has mirrored those issues with his own son, David, by having his professional duties take precedence over family matters.
When Jack landed on the island, what issues did he have to work out? We must down play his alleged lack of leadership (to make the life and death decisions) because as a trauma surgeon, he led his teams through those decisions on a daily basis. The main focus of his attention beyond mere survival was finding a final connection with his dad because Ghost Christian haunted him. One could think that the island's series of tests was to put Jack into Christian's shoes, but that really is not the case.
In the island world, Jack has similar but more serious problems. Yes, he is divorced from Sarah but he has no children. She has quickly moved on to a new husband to start her family. Jack is angry about being alone and depressed; he turns to alcohol and drugs which ruins his professional standing and draws him close to suicide. Clearly, Jack is worst off in the island world than in the sideways world.
Are the island demons Jack's subconscious feelings that need to be conquered and tamed? They seem fairly tamed in the sideways world so there must be a different answer.
What Jack lacks in both worlds is a true soul mate. Someone has stubborn, argumentative and loyal that he is. But does the island world give him an opportunity to work out his relationship issues with women to the point where he finds bliss? This is debatable. We have various women thrown in Jack's romantic path, including Juliet, Kate, Achara, and Sarah. None of them ended well. Even after defeating MIB, Kate did not stay by mortally wounded Jack. No, Kate left with Sawyer to find the plane to leave the island and Jack behind. That was Kate's choice.
If the island was a proving ground for something missing in Jack's after life soul, what was it?
It is not as clear cut as Juliet and Sawyer's awakening and rekindling of their island romance.
It is less black and white of the polarization of Ben's relationships with Danielle in the island versus sideways worlds.
Was it all the personal sacrifices Jack made on or to the Island that led him to a revelation about himself? No lesson was learned because Jack sacrificed himself like he sacrificed himself to save others in his real life. Jack's general personality did not change between worlds.
Was it as simple as finding out people do get "second chances" and things are not "fixed" in time or space? This would explain his rocky relationship with Kate, its on and off head butting on and off the island, to the non-contact with her until the very end at the church. Jack had no relationship with Kate in the sideways world but connected with her for the next level of the after life. Kate always said she'd have Jack's back. And in the final sense, she would take him back, this time forever.
But the one concern with Sideways Jack is his love and devotion to his son, David. But since we know the sideways world is inhabited by dead souls, who was David? Was he a figment of Jack and Juliet's imaginations? He does not fit into a piece to be worked out in the island realm. He does not figure into the finale either. Jack never asks Christian "where is David?" There is no rule against "moving on" with your children (Claire and Aaron; Christian with his two children). So David is an anomaly in the sideways time is first theory. If Jack's real desire was to a have a normal, stable family life with a wife and child, then that dream is never fulfilled. However, if Jack's dream was to be released from responsibility and commitment (themes of the island world), then death would be the only answer, i.e. the sideways world. Jack's meeting his dead father "in person" awoke him to the notion that his life was over. But at that moment, he did not know who was in the church except Kate.
What did the people in the church give Jack during his island time that he failed to find in the sideways world? Friendship.
Friendship is the emotions or conduct of friends; a state of mutual trust and support.
The island proving ground did give Jack the opportunity, in a non-medical setting like a hospital, to learn to trust and support other people. To seek judgment, opinions, and options from other people. To argue, make decisions, and make mistakes. And through all those arguments, decisions, mistakes and events, people did not turn their backs to him. Jack learned how to make lasting friendships. And in many respects, it was a mutual experiment for characters like Locke and Boone. The bonds of friendship is what Jack's soul was missing in its real life.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
WORK TO BE DONE
Why did Ben, of all people, have the sole right to choose to stay in the sideways world after Hurley invited him to join the group in the church?
As set forth in the previous post on Sawyer and Juliet, if the sideways afterlife actually came first, and the island world was merely a testing ground for lost souls to fix their moral, emotional or other issues, then many of the sideways choices make some sense.
In the sideways world, Ben is a meek high school teacher. He has no cloud. He has no chance of promotion. He is like his fellow teachers seemingly in the dead end job with little personal gratification. He is also a trapped caretaker for his ill father who lives with him. As a result of this caregiving, Ben has no social life. It depresses him. But here, he accepts his fate.
But if he the opportunity, he would be a different, more assertion - - - aggressive personality. He received that gift when his soul wound up on the island. The island allowed his deepest, darkest and repressed emotions to surface and take hold.
In the sideways world, any repressed bitterness for his lot in life to take care of his ill father was taken out by Island Ben created the grand purge which included killing his father. The death of his father would release him from his duty to him.
In the sideways world, any strong, inherit shyness, introverted or anti-social tendencies were turned inside-out by Island Ben becoming a strong, aggressive leader of the Others. The power made him believe in himself. He could manipulate and control people like a puppeteer. He would always get what he wanted - - - something he would never attempt in his real life.
So we have Island Ben being the exact opposite of after life Ben. So why didn't Ben, knowing his island past, go with Hurley into the church in order to move on? He said he still had "work" to do.
We believe that work was somehow making amends or a connection with Danielle and Alex.
But why would he want Danielle and Alex to remember Island Ben? Ben did not have a loving relationship with Danielle like Sawyer had with Juliet, to be rekindled in the after life. No, Ben was a ruthless kidnapper of Danielle's child. Ben sought to capture and kill Danielle. Ben's decisions eventually led to both Danielle's and Alex's deaths on the island. These are not happy memories for either Danielle or Alex. Once they realize what sideways Ben was to them on the island world, one would have to assume that Danielle and Alex would be repulsed by Ben.
So why would Ben stay in the sideways world? Is it because he could do no better?
Or does Ben get a "second" island proving ground with Danielle and Alex? This time to get it "right." (I don't think that would be a sequel that anyone would watch.)
If the island was a training ground for Ben to learn to be more assertive, more independent, more open to social settings like romance and dating, we get a hint of that in the sideways arc when after Desmond runs him over, he gets the sympathy and respect of both Alex and Danielle, including a dinner invitation. But his change in the sideways world cannot erase the bad things he did on the island. And this is why it is difficult to reconcile Ben's sideways end game to that of Juliet's with Sawyer. Juliet found her soul mate on the island. Ben tortured his alleged soul mate on the island.
Unless there is some magical love potion that is made of an egomaniac losing one's hubris like Ben's fall from power in the island realm, it is hard to imagine that awakening Danielle is going to cause Ben anything but more pain. And maybe that is the punishment that Ben has chosen upon himself. To live out his purgatory existence with the deep dark secret of his island torments in order not to be cast off into the darkness, or become a whisper trapped on the island.
As set forth in the previous post on Sawyer and Juliet, if the sideways afterlife actually came first, and the island world was merely a testing ground for lost souls to fix their moral, emotional or other issues, then many of the sideways choices make some sense.
In the sideways world, Ben is a meek high school teacher. He has no cloud. He has no chance of promotion. He is like his fellow teachers seemingly in the dead end job with little personal gratification. He is also a trapped caretaker for his ill father who lives with him. As a result of this caregiving, Ben has no social life. It depresses him. But here, he accepts his fate.
But if he the opportunity, he would be a different, more assertion - - - aggressive personality. He received that gift when his soul wound up on the island. The island allowed his deepest, darkest and repressed emotions to surface and take hold.
In the sideways world, any repressed bitterness for his lot in life to take care of his ill father was taken out by Island Ben created the grand purge which included killing his father. The death of his father would release him from his duty to him.
In the sideways world, any strong, inherit shyness, introverted or anti-social tendencies were turned inside-out by Island Ben becoming a strong, aggressive leader of the Others. The power made him believe in himself. He could manipulate and control people like a puppeteer. He would always get what he wanted - - - something he would never attempt in his real life.
So we have Island Ben being the exact opposite of after life Ben. So why didn't Ben, knowing his island past, go with Hurley into the church in order to move on? He said he still had "work" to do.
We believe that work was somehow making amends or a connection with Danielle and Alex.
But why would he want Danielle and Alex to remember Island Ben? Ben did not have a loving relationship with Danielle like Sawyer had with Juliet, to be rekindled in the after life. No, Ben was a ruthless kidnapper of Danielle's child. Ben sought to capture and kill Danielle. Ben's decisions eventually led to both Danielle's and Alex's deaths on the island. These are not happy memories for either Danielle or Alex. Once they realize what sideways Ben was to them on the island world, one would have to assume that Danielle and Alex would be repulsed by Ben.
So why would Ben stay in the sideways world? Is it because he could do no better?
Or does Ben get a "second" island proving ground with Danielle and Alex? This time to get it "right." (I don't think that would be a sequel that anyone would watch.)
If the island was a training ground for Ben to learn to be more assertive, more independent, more open to social settings like romance and dating, we get a hint of that in the sideways arc when after Desmond runs him over, he gets the sympathy and respect of both Alex and Danielle, including a dinner invitation. But his change in the sideways world cannot erase the bad things he did on the island. And this is why it is difficult to reconcile Ben's sideways end game to that of Juliet's with Sawyer. Juliet found her soul mate on the island. Ben tortured his alleged soul mate on the island.
Unless there is some magical love potion that is made of an egomaniac losing one's hubris like Ben's fall from power in the island realm, it is hard to imagine that awakening Danielle is going to cause Ben anything but more pain. And maybe that is the punishment that Ben has chosen upon himself. To live out his purgatory existence with the deep dark secret of his island torments in order not to be cast off into the darkness, or become a whisper trapped on the island.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
LOST WORLDS
“
Every man carries with him the world in which he must live.
”
— F. Marion Crawford
A world is a place defined as a person's life and activities outside one's self.
Jack's world that he created was that of being a driven medical doctor in order to feed the need for his father's approval.
Kate's world that she created was that of a rebel in order to lash out at her parents for their secrets.
Locke's world that he created was one of forced acceptance equality and balance with others that he lacked in growing up without parents or siblings.
Sawyer's world that he created was one of darkness and revenge in order to fill the void when his parents were killed.
Hurley's world that he created was one of fantasy in order to avoid dealing with the issues of his father's abandonment and consequential depression and self-esteem issues.
Sayid's world that he created was that of a brilliant soldier to cope with the issues of growing up as the child who would do the dirty work for his father and siblings.
Charlie's world that he created was the dreams of a rock star in order to overcome the isolation from his family who moved on to create their own new families.
Rose's world that she created was one of faith and acceptance in order to deal with her terminal cancer.
Bernard's world that he created was that of curing Rose in order to be with her in order to deal with her terminal cancer which goes back to curing his bachelor loneliness.
Sun's world that she created was one of a rebellious child in order to seek independence from the customs and burdens placed upon her by her father.
Jin's world that he created was one of great expectations and wealth by leaving his village to go to the big city to find fame and fortune in order to end his cycle of poverty and shame.
Desmond's world that he created was that of the tortured soul who gets rewarded with his dream life with his lover in order to offset his fears of commitment and failure as a man.
If you look at all the character's worlds, they all intersect in the Island events. Their desires intertwine in the story lines, each helping the other toward their fantasy or dream goal that created their own separate worlds. It is the collection of the worlds that each character created on their own that fuses the premise of the island as the engine for their journeys to find resolution of the thing(s) they were trying to deal with from their childhoods. The world of LOST was made up the worlds of the characters colliding with other. In the primal mode of survival, no one notices that each has deep scars from their childhoods that their dream worlds were to heal. But no one can heal themselves. They need new friends, new families, new relationships and new ideas in order sort one's problems out to find a lasting resolution.
— F. Marion Crawford
A world is a place defined as a person's life and activities outside one's self.
Jack's world that he created was that of being a driven medical doctor in order to feed the need for his father's approval.
Kate's world that she created was that of a rebel in order to lash out at her parents for their secrets.
Locke's world that he created was one of forced acceptance equality and balance with others that he lacked in growing up without parents or siblings.
Sawyer's world that he created was one of darkness and revenge in order to fill the void when his parents were killed.
Hurley's world that he created was one of fantasy in order to avoid dealing with the issues of his father's abandonment and consequential depression and self-esteem issues.
Sayid's world that he created was that of a brilliant soldier to cope with the issues of growing up as the child who would do the dirty work for his father and siblings.
Charlie's world that he created was the dreams of a rock star in order to overcome the isolation from his family who moved on to create their own new families.
Rose's world that she created was one of faith and acceptance in order to deal with her terminal cancer.
Bernard's world that he created was that of curing Rose in order to be with her in order to deal with her terminal cancer which goes back to curing his bachelor loneliness.
Sun's world that she created was one of a rebellious child in order to seek independence from the customs and burdens placed upon her by her father.
Jin's world that he created was one of great expectations and wealth by leaving his village to go to the big city to find fame and fortune in order to end his cycle of poverty and shame.
Desmond's world that he created was that of the tortured soul who gets rewarded with his dream life with his lover in order to offset his fears of commitment and failure as a man.
If you look at all the character's worlds, they all intersect in the Island events. Their desires intertwine in the story lines, each helping the other toward their fantasy or dream goal that created their own separate worlds. It is the collection of the worlds that each character created on their own that fuses the premise of the island as the engine for their journeys to find resolution of the thing(s) they were trying to deal with from their childhoods. The world of LOST was made up the worlds of the characters colliding with other. In the primal mode of survival, no one notices that each has deep scars from their childhoods that their dream worlds were to heal. But no one can heal themselves. They need new friends, new families, new relationships and new ideas in order sort one's problems out to find a lasting resolution.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
SNOWGLOBE
Ancient humans universally believed that the earth was a flat disc that was covered by a globe. The glove was the universe. The stars, planets and heavenly objects were attached to the top of the globe. These early humans believed that god or gods created this special place for them.
That human perception changed in the Middle Ages when scholars found out that the universe did not revolve around the Earth, but that the Earth revolved around a sun. It set off a fundamental change in humanity. The science of observation, experimentation and manipulation of nature would soon challenge then overtake primitive notions of man's relationship with nature and their religious beliefs.
The pure scientists believed that truth could only be measured by factual observation and repeated analysis. Those who thought to explain the unknown in the world held to the religious overtones of gods, spirits, fate and faith.
One could argue that the science versus faith theme was a major component underlying much of the LOST plot lines. One could find the hard evidence of this dynamic with the conversation Jack had with Desmond:
JACK: So, before you ran off, I guess you just forgot to mention that you still have a sailboat. Why'd you come back?
DESMOND [laughing]: Do you think I did it on purpose? I was sailing for two and half weeks, bearing due West and making 9 knots. I should have been in Fiji in less than a week. But the first piece of land I saw wasn't Fiji, was it? No. No, it was here -- this, this island. And you know why? Because this is it. This is all there is left. This ocean and this place here. We are stuck in a bloody snowglobe. There's no outside world. There's no escape. So, just go away, huh. Let me drink.
Desmond described the Island as a "snowglobe" after experiencing navigational difficulties trying to escape it. Desmond had tried to flee the Island in his boat, but he steered due west rather than the necessary bearing. As a result, he arrived back at the Island.
We are shown evidence of early man's perception of their world: a snowglobe universe. Even with the high tech science brought to bear on the Island by men throughout the centuries (including the Dharma stations), the setting of the Island still harbors the first representation of man's concept of his universe: the snowglobe.
Was this a coincidental, off-the-cuff remark in dialog? There were other references to snowglobes in the series:
1. A page in Hurley's Spanish comic book showed a dome covering a magical city.
2. A snowglobe was on the counter of the shop where Michael pawned his watch in Meet Kevin Johnson.
3. There was a large bluish globe on the top shelf of the bookcase in Aaron's bedroom.
If there is one constant in Hollywood is the point that nothing is totally new. The LOST writers were fans of Alan Moore's graphic novel Watchmen, which contained a few references to snowglobes. One character dropped a snowglobe as a child in a scene similar to Sun's in "Further Instructions". The character imagined the inside of the snowglobe as a "whole world; a world inside the ball." The person references that they are inside a ball in some different sort of time. The comic also featured an tropical utopia Antarctic base shielded by massive glass hemisphere from the snow outside.
One theory is that the Island is indeed a snowglobe, on Earth but in a slightly different dimension or time. Whether it is a nexus, portal or bridge to the after life or parallel universe is open to discussion.
In this view, the characters have been transported to what would seem to them to be a magical place (like Oz) where their perceptions of their universe do not match their current surroundings.
Another theory reflects that the possibility that the snowglobe statement is a clue to the big premise of the series. In the 1980s, the TV drama St. Elsewhere featured a Boston hospital and its staff that were revealed, in the final episode, to exist only inside a snowglobe, imagined by an autistic boy. Some viewers connected that premise when they saw the Hurley-centric episode, "Dave," which focus was on mental illness and hallucinations, that strongly suggested that the Island was all in Hurley's imagination.
When one tries to figure out the premise of LOST, one must consider even the smallest clues having possibly the greatest impact on our collective understanding. The simple concept of the snowglobe, from historical reference to child's toy of imagination, is emblematic of LOST.
That human perception changed in the Middle Ages when scholars found out that the universe did not revolve around the Earth, but that the Earth revolved around a sun. It set off a fundamental change in humanity. The science of observation, experimentation and manipulation of nature would soon challenge then overtake primitive notions of man's relationship with nature and their religious beliefs.
The pure scientists believed that truth could only be measured by factual observation and repeated analysis. Those who thought to explain the unknown in the world held to the religious overtones of gods, spirits, fate and faith.
One could argue that the science versus faith theme was a major component underlying much of the LOST plot lines. One could find the hard evidence of this dynamic with the conversation Jack had with Desmond:
JACK: So, before you ran off, I guess you just forgot to mention that you still have a sailboat. Why'd you come back?
DESMOND [laughing]: Do you think I did it on purpose? I was sailing for two and half weeks, bearing due West and making 9 knots. I should have been in Fiji in less than a week. But the first piece of land I saw wasn't Fiji, was it? No. No, it was here -- this, this island. And you know why? Because this is it. This is all there is left. This ocean and this place here. We are stuck in a bloody snowglobe. There's no outside world. There's no escape. So, just go away, huh. Let me drink.
Desmond described the Island as a "snowglobe" after experiencing navigational difficulties trying to escape it. Desmond had tried to flee the Island in his boat, but he steered due west rather than the necessary bearing. As a result, he arrived back at the Island.
We are shown evidence of early man's perception of their world: a snowglobe universe. Even with the high tech science brought to bear on the Island by men throughout the centuries (including the Dharma stations), the setting of the Island still harbors the first representation of man's concept of his universe: the snowglobe.
Was this a coincidental, off-the-cuff remark in dialog? There were other references to snowglobes in the series:
1. A page in Hurley's Spanish comic book showed a dome covering a magical city.
2. A snowglobe was on the counter of the shop where Michael pawned his watch in Meet Kevin Johnson.
3. There was a large bluish globe on the top shelf of the bookcase in Aaron's bedroom.
If there is one constant in Hollywood is the point that nothing is totally new. The LOST writers were fans of Alan Moore's graphic novel Watchmen, which contained a few references to snowglobes. One character dropped a snowglobe as a child in a scene similar to Sun's in "Further Instructions". The character imagined the inside of the snowglobe as a "whole world; a world inside the ball." The person references that they are inside a ball in some different sort of time. The comic also featured an tropical utopia Antarctic base shielded by massive glass hemisphere from the snow outside.
One theory is that the Island is indeed a snowglobe, on Earth but in a slightly different dimension or time. Whether it is a nexus, portal or bridge to the after life or parallel universe is open to discussion.
In this view, the characters have been transported to what would seem to them to be a magical place (like Oz) where their perceptions of their universe do not match their current surroundings.
Another theory reflects that the possibility that the snowglobe statement is a clue to the big premise of the series. In the 1980s, the TV drama St. Elsewhere featured a Boston hospital and its staff that were revealed, in the final episode, to exist only inside a snowglobe, imagined by an autistic boy. Some viewers connected that premise when they saw the Hurley-centric episode, "Dave," which focus was on mental illness and hallucinations, that strongly suggested that the Island was all in Hurley's imagination.
When one tries to figure out the premise of LOST, one must consider even the smallest clues having possibly the greatest impact on our collective understanding. The simple concept of the snowglobe, from historical reference to child's toy of imagination, is emblematic of LOST.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
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.
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.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
TWO WORLDS TWO TIMES ONE PROBLEM
The image above is a picture of Rousseau's map. It just occurred to me that the shape of the island contours as represented on it as two human spines. Adam and Eve resting in the cave, which would represent Crazy Mother and Jacob's brother, the separation of the island guardian and the smoke monster island protector. The theme of division has always been strong in the LOST story arcs, including the two worlds division contained in The End.One of the least discussed aspects of The End was the drop-kick revelation that the sideways world was a created after life realm for the island characters to re-group and move on together.
Just about every new character that was introduced to the island came as a result of a death or near death transportation: shipwrecks, plane crashes, even Juliet swallowing an overdose of pills to get on the submarine . . . why? If one takes Jacob's statement at face value, he was the one who brought "everyone" to the island.
But what really is the island? It was not merely a location, but TPTB and fan base concluded that the island was a character in itself, a conscious being of unknown power.
World One: The Island
The Island is the geographic location of LOST castaways, covering a period of at least 2000 years.
The Island has healing powers and cured John Locke of his paralysis and Rose of her cancer. It also functions as a "cork" that suppresses a dangerous force from escaping. At the Heart of the Island is a bright light, the source of "life, death, (and) rebirth" that needs to be protected. The current protector is Hugo Reyes. The protector also brings others to the island for various purposes, such as becoming the the new protector of the island.
The Island was apparently inhabited by Egyptians and possibly Sumerians and Southeast Asians in the distant past, and also was home to a village of Latin-speaking people who were shipwrecked there in the early first millennium. The Island periodically moves its physical location, as it took significant calculations to find since it is hidden from plain view. The Island was in the South Pacific Ocean in 2004 but could have been in the Mediterranean Sea at some point in its history. At the end, the island seems to submerge upon the passing of Jacob and MIB.
According to Jacob, the Island acts as a cork, holding back a malevolent force that would destroy the world if released. When the Man in Black made contact with the site of this suppression, the Heart of the Island, he transformed into a smoke monster that plagued the Island for thousands of years. A protector guards the Heart of the Island, the source of life, death and rebirth. Despite the Heart, or possibly because of it, not all who die on the Island move on - some remain, whispering. Other apparitions of unknown origin also appear, often confronting people with images from their past.
The Heart of the Island manifests itself as electromagnetism concentrated in specific pockets. The Man in Black's people dug wells at these sites, and the Dharma Initiative built stations, including the Orchid and the Swan. Lostpedia states that from at least 1977, when scientists penetrated a pocket, this energy has healed sickness, including cancer, paralysis, brain damage and male infertility, but it causes pregnant women to reject embryos, killing both mother and fetus. The electromagnetism also affects navigation, hiding the Island from the outside world (thus the reason rescue almost never came), drawing back those who leave the Island, moving the Island and even transporting travelers through time.
World Two: Sideways Realm
Lostpedia concludes that the Season 6 "sideways world view" was merely a new narrative technique - the flash sideways. Like flashbacks and flash forwards, flash sideways intercut into episodes' main action a secondary storyline, which covered the centric characters at a different time. The series finale revealed the nature of the world the flash sideways portrayed: it showed the characters meeting after death. As such, the flash sideways are in a sense Flash-forwards.
Lostpedia believes the sound cues reveals the difference and the connection between the two world/time periods: In "Happily Ever After", Desmond Hume transitioned between the original time line and the flash-sideways time line with the absence of the flash-sideways sound effect, in similar fashion to the way in which his story transitioned between present and past in "The Constant" without the flashback/flash-forward sound effect. However, the sound effect was used at the end of the episode, when he transitioned back into the sideways time line, indicating that this last flash was a normal flash-sideways, and not consciousness-travel, as the main body of the episode was.
Lostpedia concludes that the sideways world was merely a FLASH FORWARD in time to where all the Island characters were dead. The problem with that conclusion is that could not happen in a linear, chronological time line in one plane of existence.
Jack died on the island 14 days after Flight 316 crash landed on the island. That flight was around late October-early November of 2007, after John Locke is killed, which would make Jack's death on the island around November 14, 2007.
However, Jack awakens in the sideways church and is told he is dead, only a week after Flight 815 lands in LA, around September 29, 2004. On that day in the original island time line, Jack is trying to get people on the beach to move to the safety of the caves. During one trip to the caves, there is a cave in on or about September 29, 2004, which traps Jack (who is rescued with only a separated shoulder injury).
There is a significant continuity issue at play. If Jack was awakened in the sideways world time only AFTER he died on the island, then his death would have been as a result of the cave collapse on Day 8 after the crash of Flight 815 in 2004, and not Day 14 after the crash of Flight 316 in 2007.
Even if one accepts the concept of non-linear time (time is a meandering stream), there is still a problem of Jack having a separate sideways (flash back) existence in the sideways time than the reality of the island (present and flash backs) time line.
September, 2004 island time line: Jack is alive on the island.
September, 2004 sideways time line: Jack is dead in the church at his father's funeral.
November, 2007 island time line: Jack dies on the island.
In order to sync to the sideways time stamp of September 29, 2004 as Christian's funeral, Jack would have had to "die" in the cave collapse on Day 8 after the 815 crash. So how did Jack's body continue "on" in the island time for at least another three years?!
One could right off time as being immaterial to the LOST story, like Christian's lame explanation of the here and now in the sideways world not being the past or the present. But if "time" is irrelevant concept in the LOST mythology, why was it so critical to many of the story lines of Daniel, Desmond, the time skippers back to 1974 Dharma? One would have thought that the time frames from the island and sideways worlds would intersect at the same date in the End.
But as the island had two spines in topography, why were not the two different time periods fully explained in LOST?
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