2/22/07 Note: The page below was written and posted on 2/18/07. Statements by Lost co-writer and executive producer Damon Lindelof, as reported in Jeff Jensen's 2/20/07 Entertainment Weekly column (see the Lindelof/Jensen Endnote, below), confirm my theory that Desmond was actually able to move forward and backward in time, and that this ability may ultimately fuel an escalating cycle of events, with some intriguing implications for the show's finale, when considered within the broader context of what it REALLY means to predict and delay the end of the world. For more, see below.... The Final Solution? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2/18/07) The Final Solution? Undeniably, one of the central themes played out through the series to date has been the conflict between good and evil. This theme has been underscored many times, in many different ways, including juxtaposed white/black patterns: Jack and Kate witnessing one white and one black stone pouring out of a pouch; Locke's creepy white eye/black eye scene; Charlie's dream/vision, while holding the baby Aaron, of Claire and Charlie's mum on the beach (clad in Madonna-like garb), and Hurley emerging from the jungle (clothed like a 'disciple'), culminating with one white and one black bird descending from the sky (see also the painting at the bottom of the stairs as young Charlie descends on Christmas Day, in the "Fire + Water" episode); and more examples , including the DHARMA logo, itself. "Good" has been represented in many obvious ways, through recurrent references to the Bible and other religious works, references to Biblical names like Jacob, Josiah, Aaron (etc.), and the literal and figurative effects of Mr. Eko during his time on the island. And we have certainly seen "Evil" portrayed in various forms, ranging from temptations of vice (Charlie's battle with the "Horse" that is heroin addiction), to lying, torture, murder, and other 'sins'. The conflict between good and evil, one of the fundamental tensions in all of human existence, sheds some truly interesting light on the DHARMA agenda and its underlying purpose, at the very deepest of levels.... 1. Consider what we have been told regarding this agenda: "In the Lost Experience ARG, the DHARMA Initiative is revealed to have the purpose of finding a way to change the 'Valenzetti Equation', a mathematical formula designed to predict the end of the world." (Source= Wikipedia. See Endnote 1.) "The 'Lost Experience' has revealed that the objective of the DHARMA Initiative is to alter any of the six factors of the Valenzetti Equation, revealed to have a huge impact on the date the human race will destroy itself, whether by global warming, chemical warfare, overpopulation or many other possible methods." (Source= Wikipedia. See Endnote 2.) 2. Moreover, we have learned that this agenda involves DHARMA recreating the six factors on the island, on a smaller scale, for observation, to help them to achieve the purpose and objectives identified in the above quotes. 3. To date, much speculation on the part of fans and theorists alike has been focused on divining what the numbers really mean, what the six factors are, how the factors have been studied on the island, etc. In short, the bulk of our speculation to date, including my own, has overlooked some basic yet crucial questions, begged by simply considering the stated DHARMA purpose and objectives within the larger context of good and evil, with particular emphasis on what we have been told about human existence and the end of the world, through those lenses. Once we begin to adopt this perspective, some intriguing issues and questions are brought into sharper focus, including.... 4. Deeper questions undergirding the fundamental notions of developing and using the Valenzetti Equation, in the first place, as seen through the lenses of good and evil: * What does it really mean, to be able to predict the end of the world? * What are the real implications of being able to delay the end of the world? * Who was/is the real driving force behind the Valenzetti Equation and the DHARMA Initiative? Let's consider these crucial questions in order, viewing them through the lenses of good and evil, taking a cue from the show's recurrent references to the Bible. (This will lead to a very intriguing 'Final Solution' twist!) What Does It REALLY Mean, To Be Able To Predict The End Of The World? On the surface, being able to predict the end of the world has huge appeal, especially given the promise of potentially being able to delay the end indefinitely, through manipulating one or more of the factors in the Valenzetti Equation. But what does this really mean? One Bible verse is particularly relevant, here: "Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matthew 24:36). Considering this verse, the basic notion of developing and using the Valenzetti Equation is a form of egotheism; the developers and users are 'equating' themselves with God. What about the 'signs' of the end, contained in the Bible (the book of Daniel, the book of the Revelation, etc.)? And what about the prophets? Might we not use these things as a basis for justifying the development and manipulation of the Valenzetti Equation, using some variant of a justification based on the logic that the equation is simply a more scientifically-refined method for determining the end? Well, some may try to use that type of justification, but it falls down when we consider the real, stated reasons for predicting the end of the world. DHARMA's expressed purpose is not to predict the end of the world so it can help others prepare for the arrival of the Messiah; instead, its purpose is to strive to find ways to change the equation, through altering any of the six factors, to change the date of the end. This does, indeed, amount to playing God.... What Are The REAL Implications Of Being Able To Delay The End Of The World? While playing 'God' through manipulating Valenzetti Equation factors to delay or avert the end of the world may look fine through a secular lens, when viewed through the 'good and evil' lenses contained in the Bible, the real implications of so doing come into sharper relief. In short, we can see that on this deeper level, the purpose and objectives of the DHARMA Initiative are in synchrony with the Devil. Viewed from the perspective of the Bible, our earthly human existence comprises an inherently fallen, sinful, and 'lost' state. And the Devil would love nothing better than to extend his earthly playground indefinitely, into the future, continually delaying the end of the world/humanity, and the arrival of the Messiah (see Endnote 3.) Who Was/Is The Real Driving Force Behind The Valenzetti Equation And The DHARMA Initiative? Why, the Devil made them do it, of course! I'm not suggesting they necessarily were aware of this influence; since the Devil works in subtle ways to advance his agenda here on this Earthly realm, I would certainly not be surprised to find that he and his 'dark forces' were working behind the scenes, leveraging the natural, fallen, sinful tendencies we all wrestle with on a daily basis (pride, etc.) A more nefarious, alternative version is that those responsible for the development of the Valenzetti Equation and/or those in charge of the formulation and implementation of the DHARMA Initiative were in fully-conscious league with the Devil. If one of the six factors in the equation is the good/evil dynamic, or even simply the potential to leverage evil forces to change the equation and delay the end of the world, it is not so much of a leap to consider that DHARMA may have designed and administered experiments aimed at unleashing and examining evil, dark forces in and on the world. (See Endnote 4.) And what about the supposed 'failure' of the Initiative? "Thomas Mittelwerk, a member of the Hanso Foundation, later says, however, that 'The DHARMA Initiative failed'." (Source= Wikipedia. See Endnote 1.) I'm sure I'm not the only Lost viewer who feels the Initiative is still underway.... And given the recent turn of events, with Desmond's transformation to a precog who is able to slip forward and backward through time, there may still be some who are holding out hope the equation can be changed, at least in part through the HEMA factor (see my Home page and the Desmond HEMA- Episode 56 page, in this regard.) The 'Lost' Island Of Souls: Not Quite Purgatory, But Oh Hell? Producers/writers of Lost have discredited the 'Purgatory' theory and the notion that the Flight 815 passengers have died. (See Endnote 5.) What happened to the passengers, and where is the island? The Flight 815 passengers are indeed still alive and their plane was downed on a real island that is supported by a bed of magnetite-infused Black Rock, producing an electromagnetic field functioning as a super-charged psychic battery (please see the Home page for a more complete depiction of the relationships among Heuristics (focused attention), Energy, and Material Applications, or HEMA.) The passengers are alive, but they are NOT in Purgatory and NOT in Hell (but a connection to Hell was indeed established at the Swan hatch site, read on....) The passengers are located on a part of the Earth which is shielded from outside scrutiny, due in no small part to the island's own weird, unique electromagnetic characteristics. And the real danger from the first Swan hatch 'Incident' was that the psychic experiment succeeded in leveraging the unique electromagnetic field in that area, to communicate with the dead (demonic, evil forces), unleashing a space-time rift event which inadvertently opened a PORTAL to Hell at the Swan hatch site, further amplifying the site's energy field to such a point that DHARMA deemed it necessary to encase it in thick concrete.... (Hence the admonition by Dr. Marvin Candle in a reattached section of the Swan hatch orientation film, to not attempt to use the computer to communicate with the outside world.... Was it really Walt who replied back-- "Dad?"-- when Michael attempted such communication, or was it some other darker force at work, 'testing' Michael and setting an interesting sequence of events in motion, for further observation? See also Damon Lindelof's comment that the hatch represented that the Devil has arrived on the island, in the "Secrets of the Hatch" special feature, found on DVD 7 of Season 2....) **** BEN'S STATEMENT (AS "HENRY GALE") THAT THE ISLAND CANNOT BE SEEN BY GOD IS A CRUCIAL CLUE THAT THE TRUE, DEEP AGENDA AT WORK IS THAT OF THE DEVIL. The Devil is working behind the scenes, through DHARMA, to try to delay the arrival of the Messiah and prolong the current state of fallen, sinful, 'LOST' existence. **** DEsMONd Hume, Antichrist Superstar? If the "Devil Made Them Do It" Theory is true, and the first Swan hatch Incident opened a portal to Hell (a tad reminiscent of the movie "EVENT HORIZON"?!), what the second Swan hatch incident may have done is reopen the portal and expose Desmond (but not the other islanders) to the transformative EPICENTER of a concentrated blast of the island's weird electromagnetic energy, a blazing white pulse which imbued him with supernatural powers to move forward and backward in time.... Since it's in the Devil's interest to maintain our current fallen/sinful/Lost existence on Earth, it certainly would not hurt to have some precogs with Desmond's amplified abilities, moving in and through time, working to delay the end of the world/arrival of the Messiah. Penelope's father, Charles Widmore, told Desmond he would never be a great man.... Was he correct, in the sense that Desmond's greatness lies in that he is becoming more than a mere man? Desmond's good looks, long brown locks, and devilish charm certainly could fit the bill of someone destined to fulfill his greatness as the Antichrist. Does Desmond have the "666" mark of the Beast, upon him? And when the islanders are rescued and hailed as heroes, and Charles Widmore dies of old age (or, perhaps through some sort of 'Omen-like' accident?!), and Desmond finally reunites with his lost love, Penelope, I can certainly see how it might be possible for DEsMONd to walk a post-island path of 'greatness,' rising through the ranks of industry and politics to the point at which he might.... actually turn out to be the Antichrist who, behind the scenes, has been working to advance his father's agenda to prolong our fallen/sinful/Lost human existence and delay the arrival of the Messiah. But Isn't The Coming Of The Antichrist A Precursor To The Arrival Of The Messiah? Yes, according to the book of the Revelation.... "There is a consensus that sometime prior to the expected return of Jesus, there will be a period of 'trials and tribulations' during which the Antichrist, inspired by Satan, will attempt to win supporters with great works." (See Endnote 6.) Why, then, would the Devil set the coming of the Antichrist in motion? Because through inspiring the developers of the Valenzetti Equation, and those in charge of the DHARMA Initiative, the Devil learned when the end of the world would occur, and inspired DHARMA to establish an island laboratory-- populated with real, live test subjects-- for the exploring how this end could be delayed indefinitely, through changing one or more of the six key factors. In short, through ongoing experiments and observations on the island, involving persons who were likely unaware of his nefarious inspiration, the Devil finally believes he has found a way to postpone the end of the world (and the arrival of the Messiah), through leveraging at least one of the six Factors in the Valenzetti Equation-- the HEMA Factor! Building on my "Flashes Before Your Eyes" episode commentary-- see the "Desmond HEMA (Flashes)" page-- the successful unleashing of a new level of psychic powers in Desmond may finally have emboldened the Devil to proceed with a plan to inspire Desmond to journey along a path of greatness and great works, once he has returned home from the island (see my commentary at the end of the "Antichrist Superstar?" section, above.) In short, the Devil may now be ready, willing, and able to set the Antichrist agenda in motion, armed with insights and outcomes from the island experiments, to establish and propagate an army of precogs-cum-time-travelers, roaming in and across space and time, working to change the course of events, focused on the goal of delaying, indefinitely, the end of the world (and, thereby, delaying the arrival of the Messiah)... Desmond's personal struggles and musings in "Flashes" point to this "Final Solution" of the Valenzetti Equation's ultimate purpose-- delaying the end of humanity and the arrival of the Messiah, thereby prolonging our fallen/sinful/LOST existence, on Earth. And who better to lead the charge-- armed with good intentions, hard at work, saving the world and our lives (like Charlie's), but oblivious to the darker, nefarious inspiration, from below-- than our likable and lovable hero, DEsMONd Hume, Antichrist.... But Isn't The Coming Of The Antichrist Linked To Increased, Not Decreased, Trials And Tribulations? Yes.... But this may all be part of a 'fateful,' inevitable cycle of escalating hardship, as Desmond (and his followers) do great works to avert Earthly crises and delay the end of the world, but through their well-intentioned efforts, they unwittingly are party to a cascade of increasing trials and tribulations, requiring ever-more-great works to avert the end of the world which, in turn, lead to heightened trials and tribulations, and so forth.... It's interesting to consider that fervently trying to indefinitely delay the end of the world may actually produce and fuel an escalating cycle of events which ultimately plays a critical role in bringing about the end of the world.... And the "Flashes" episode cracked open this door of insight, showing how attempts to leverage precognitive powers to avert crises will only delay them. In future episodes, we may indeed find that such delays only fuel an escalating cycle of trials and tribulations, ironically bringing about the very end which they are trying to avoid. But What About Ms. Hawking's Ouroboros? Among other things, this is a direct reference to the ouroboros symbol used by the "Millennium Group", in the fascinating television show "Millennium", co-starring Lance Henriksen and Terry O'Quinn (Lost's own John Locke!) "Millennium" explored good and evil within the overarching context of the impending end of the world.... Sounds pretty familiar.... (See Endnote 7.) More importantly, the ouroboros signifies cyclicality and vicious circle dynamics, a key component of my "Desmond as Antichrist/Darth Vader" hypothesis, part of the overall "Devil/Dark Side Made Them Do It" Theory.... (See Endnote 8 for links relating to the ouroboros. See below, for the explicit Antichrist/Darth Vader and Devil/Dark Side connections....) Desmond Is An Antichrist/Darth Vader Composite Distinct areas of positive, healing energy fields have been shown to exist on the island. (For example, the beach locations where Locke is able to wiggle his toes, post-crash, and Rose’s “spot” for healing cancer, where Locke goes to help accelerate the healing of his blast-door-injured leg.) In contrast, the Swan hatch energy field has been associated with darker events, like Locke’s blast-door leg injury, Sayid's merciless torture of Ben/Henry Gale, Ben/Gale displaying a devilishly masterful use of psychology to ‘work’ the previously unflappable Locke into an emotional outburst, Ben/Gale attempting to kill Ana Lucia, with the tables turned later on, Michael shooting and killing Ana Lucia and Libby, etc. (This could help explain why the energy field 'pole' at the Swan hatch was encased in thick concrete.... DHARMA experiments examining the effects of the field at that site-- using psychics and perhaps even a device to augment the field-- succeeded in tapping and amplifying a powerful form of energy which, unlike the positive, healthy sites on the beach, was associated with negative, unhealthy effects.) In the "Secrets of the Hatch" special feature-- found on DVD 7 of the set for the second season-- Damon Lindelof confirms that the Swan hatch is associated with the dark side of life: "Basically the hatch brings out the worst in you. The hatch in many ways, sort of, represented the Devil has arrived on the island, and is gonna give you exactly what you want. For Locke, he wants meaning in his life. He now has found meaning. But when you sign a deal with the Devil, there's always this Faustian side of it-- of now you've got what you asked for, but it's not at all what you thought it would be, and now you've got to deal with it." In short, the island has distinct electromagnetic areas manifesting ‘good’ and ‘bad’ effects, physically, socially, energetically, and materially. In other words, the island has good and bad HEMA spots or, in Star Wars parlance, the island has pockets of concentrated FORCE, with the light side on the beach, and the dark side in the Swan hatch area. This is not just some implicit, Easter egg, Star Wars tie-in Damon and crew have thrown in, for us fans to figure out… No, the creative forces behind Lost will use some combination of Star Wars/The Omen to help us see that the enemy is ourselves (nod to "The Prisoner"), in particular, our ongoing struggles with good/evil, and our attempts to ‘play god’ by changing fateful courses/paths of destiny….
Jeff Jensen's column “Time Passages” has some key pieces in place, of course (see Endnote 9). There IS a Jedi connection, but it is 180 degrees from what we might at first glance think… Desmond is NOT God, nor is he Jedi…. No, DESMOND WILL BE THE ANTICHRIST AND THE FALLEN JEDI, DARTH VADER….
While the beach spots show us how we can connect to the healing “Force” that exists all around us (the island teaching us how to leverage this mind/body connection in our real, off-island world), the Swan hatch spot shows us that there are indeed places we perhaps should be very careful not to go… places where a darker, more malevolent power/energy exists… the dark side of the Force. And this all connects to what we know about physical science, including discoveries about electromagnetic and quantum phenomena still not widely known among the general public… The Lost producers/writers have been showing us how it is possible to expand our minds, to reconnect to powerful mind/energy/material interrelationships (HEMA), a connection that has been “Lost” to us, through our move from a natural setting to our more refined and disconnecting concrete, glass, and asphalt ‘jungles’.
But while story is being told through multiple islanders, it is most incandescently focused through the story of Desmond…. Through his Swan hatch experiences-- exposure to the dark side of the island’s electromagnetic/quantum forces-- Desmond is making similar choices to those made by Anakin Skywalker, on his path away from the light side, to more fully embracing the dark side of the force….
So the denouement of the series will involve Desmond moving to the dark side, toward realizing his destiny as a combined Antichrist/Darth Vader figure. Earlier on the current page, I outlined a specific sequence of events that might unfold if they focus on the Antichrist angle, involving Penelope and Charles Widmore… According to that angle, Charles is an impediment to Desmond assuming his dark, rightful, earthly throne as head of the Widmore empire, and Penelope is a manifestation of Satan/evil, seeing Desmond’s potential all along, and encouraging him to do the great works which will lead along the pathway of his destiny as the Antichrist.
If the Lost producers/writers decide to instead follow the Darth Vader story line to structure the details of the finale, we might then expect to see a post-island scenario in which Penelope is in some sort of mortal danger (Penelope is equivalent to Padme), and like Anakin Skywalker, Desmond will further commit to the dark side of the electromagnetic/quantum forces operating in the world-- shown to us in a more starkly, concentrated form on the Black Rock/magnetite-infused island, but available outside the island, too-- as a means of striving to save his love, Penelope/Padme…. But of course, he will fail in this attempt, reinforcing the same, familiar, Faustian lessons… beware the dark side, the pursuit of selfish goals to change the path of fate/destiny, etc. In this variant of a Desmond gone bad scenario, Charles Widmore could be used to serve the role of Palpatine/Darth Sidious, helping Desmond gain further access to, and facility in, the dark side of the force…. (NAMASTE = ME SATAN, SATAN ME?)
Finally, the Antichrist and Darth Vader variants of the Desmond gone bad scenario both underscore the need to beware of the darker agendas which may underlie our cherished institutions and projects…. The Devil/Satan surely has an asbestos-vested interest in predicting and delaying the end of the world, for this preserves our fallen/sinful/LOST existence here on earth, and delays the coming of the Messiah. So DHARMA, Hanso, the de Groots and others may truly be unwitting accomplices in this darker agenda…. And the parallels to Star Wars are indeed striking…. A seemingly benevolent Empire, headed by Palpatine, but when you strip away that surface veneer, you begin to see the foul, evil, dark agenda at work, with Darth Sidious/Satan working behind the scenes….
And who will play the role of the Messiah/Christ/Luke Skywalker, on Lost? Will it be Jack, Aaron, or....? Recall the meaning of Jack’s tattoo, revealed to us in Episode 57: ''He walks amongst us, but he is not one of us.'' Then again, Aaron and Claire were nearly struck dead by the Swan hatch "Quarantine" door, blown aloft by the energy pulse, after Desmond 'flipped the switch.' (Note: The Darth Vader section, immediately above, was added to this page on 2/24/07.) How does the Devil/Dark Side Made Them Do It Theory relate to HEMA Theory? 1. The Devil/Dark Side Made Them Do It Theory addresses the larger issue of the ultimate purpose and objectives behind what has (and is) happening on the island. If this turns out to be true, I have shown some of the ways this may be connected to my HEMA Theory, which is focused on the smaller yet important goal of identifying and illuminating one of the six Factors in the Valenzetti Equation. 2. Again, HEMA is a separate, but complementary, theory that is focused on one of the six Factors in the Valenzetti Equation-- exploring how focused attention (Heuristics), when channeled through a heightened Energy field, can effect changes in the physical world (Material Applications)= HEMA. 3. HEMA Theory stands and falls on its own merits, i.e., its own ability to identify and describe one of the six Factors in the Valenzetti Equation, and how this Factor might be manipulated to effect a change in the Equation, thereby delaying or averting the end of the world/humankind. 4. So if the Devil/Dark Side Made Them Do It Theory turns out to be false, this means is that I was wrong about implicating a Devil/evil-based darker set of forces at work, helping drive the work by the DHARMA Initiative, and the continued activity on the island. HEMA Theory would still be a viable theory, ultimately resting or falling on its own merits. 5. Please see the "Home" page on this web site, for more information on the core, stand-alone statement of the HEMA Theory. ENDNOTES: (1) Please consult the source of this quote, provided below, for more information on the DHARMA Initiative: (2) Here is a second source of information on the DHARMA Initiative: (3) For Jews, this will be the first coming of the Messian. For Christians, this will be the second coming of the Messiah. (4) If this were true, it could add more detail to the HEMA Theory of what occurred during the first Swam hatch incident (see the Home page on this web site, in this regard.) In particular, the experimental study involving the psychic may have been focused on exploring ways to amplify a psychic's ability to communicate with the dead.... (5) Please see the Lost page in Wikipedia, for discredited theories: (666) For more information on the Antichrist, please see the following page, especially the section entitled "The expected role of the Antichrist": (7) For more information on the intriguing TV series "Millennium", co-starring Lost regular Terry O'Quinn (John Locke), see: (8) For more information on the "ouroboros", and how it fits with and supports my "vicious circle" of escalating crises argument, see the following: (9) Please see Jeff Jensen's Entertainment Weekly online column, in this regard: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LINDELOF/JENSEN ENDNOTE (added on 2/22/07): Please see Damon Lindelof's remarks on Desmond's time traveling abilitiy and its effects, in Jeff Jensen's 2/20/07 Entertainment Weekly online column "Time Passages" (yes, Al Steward rocks, albeit softly, with the exception of "Valentina Way"). In that column, Jeff Jensen reports that: According to Lindelof, the events that transpired in Desmond's flashback did NOT happen "solely in Desmond's imagination". "If Desmond truly did travel back in time," says Lindelof, then "ANY changes he made during this series of 'flashbacks' indeed DID happen... and thusly, the ramifications of said changes might reverberate later." It would be a faulty leap in logic to assume that because Desmond's flashbacks were a form of time travel, then ALL flashbacks on Lost have been a form of time travel. "I don't really see anything in the show to support that," says Lindelof. So Desmond's time-traveling ability, and the effects thereof, may indeed play a role in the denouement of the series, per my comments above. For more information on the insights leading to the genesis of my "Desmond is Antichrist" hypothesis and the "Devil Made Them Do It" theory, please see my "Desmond HEMA (Flashes)" page. |