The Box, the Island, and Eternity

[losty09]

The island is nothing other than eternity.

Allow me to speak now, about a book entitled The Third Policeman, by Flann O’Brien. It was referenced once on LOST I believe, and so I read it. Here are, I believe, the important quotes

Page 124, a man asks “Is this the road to Eternity?” And the response is “It is indeed but there is no signpost.” The characters continue into a place they deem is eternity.

Page 133 – “The beard does not grow and if you are fed you do not get hungry and if you are hungry you do not get hungrier.” This in reference to the fact that time does not flow normaly there.

Page 35 “The cabinet had an opening resembling a chute and another opening large opening resembling a black hole about a yard below the chute. He pressed two red articles like typewriter keys and turned a large knob away from him. At once there was a rumbling noise as if thousands of full biscuit-boxes were falling down stairs. I felt that the falling things would come out of the chute at any moment. And they did, appearing for a few seconds in the air and then disappearing back down the black hole again….. [etc etc]…..
“What else is there?”
“Aything.”
“Anything I mention will be shown to me?”
“Of course”

All of this is talking about essentially a box, that can give you anything you want. Sound familiar? But I know, Ben was being metaphoric. Or was he?

This box was found in a place the characters in the book called eternity. What if the island is eternity? Desmond said they were stuck in “bloody snowglobe”, so what if they are? What if eternity is enclosed inside this snowglobe, on this island somehow? Not purgatory, but eternity.

Concerning the box… I think that the people who are closely connected with the island can pull things from this box. Locke pulled Anthony Cooper, Ben pulled Jack “the surgeon who fell out of the sky”. I think smokie is the box. It can read people’s thoughts, their pasts, and manifest itself into, or bring to the island, whatever it sees there. Yemi, Kate’s horse, jack’s father, etc.

[losty09]

This is basically an excellent summary of my thoughts, made by a friend who is far more articulate than I.

the island is eternity, as in mythology described here: http://mythology.ourgardenpath.com/2...volving-cycle/

a few mentionables:

(1) the losties flashbacks are not production devices. they are experiences; obviously not linearly in "real time" but flashes, like desmonds. and they are not limited to past reference. they can "experience" the future, as does desmond. they tap into them when "current" events actuate an emotional reaction in them sometimes to such an extreme that their experience becomes physical (kate's horse)

(2) time is relative to the perception of the person. much as time is a relative device of man on earth as we know it. it could blink, flash or dwell. it doesn't obey the laws of perception in the outside world

(3) the ouroboros is on the pendant of the ring lady. he represents the perpetual cycle of time. (see above link)

(4) queue garden of eden concept, but in an ambiguous adaptation: this is where time began. but, please, in a nondenominational sense. hopefully, someone with a better understanding of judaism and the tree of life can expand on this for me

(5) losty's box....the third policeman...eternity in the cellar with the map....i dont' want to spoil that anymore for those who haven't read it.

(6) could the sickness consequently be psychotic? i mean, if i was touching tasting and feeling all of tiem at once i'd go a little batty too.

(7) locked IS healed by his faith: he wanted to walk so he did. when his faith waivers, his ability to "tap into" that alternate perception fails. so the island does not heal him, per se. he healed himself with his faith which the island afforded him the opportunity .

[Red Matrix]

Very good thoughts in deed.

[Michelle]

wow that is a very good theory and entriely plausable, i just have one question if smokie is the box why does it also kill people?

[losty09]

ok, let me expand for a moment.

If the box is smokie, then it scans people's thoughts and memories and shows them what they want or desire. For most of the losties, that is the person/animal/thing that is most symbolic of their guilt in their past. They seek to overcome that guilt. But Locke is different. He doesn't seem to share the same guilty feelings in his flashbacks. I can't remember, has he ever had hallucinations that were not drug induced? Anyway, so that brings us to the first encounter with the monster, where Locke sees it face to face. Locke, wouldn't seek something from his past because he doesn't want to live in his past an longer. He would seek to see the island, like, it's essence or something. So when he said "I have looked into the eye of this island, and what I saw was beautiful", it would have been the island showing him exactly that, what he most desired. Of course, I've no idea exactly what smokie showed him there, but, meh. Does this makes sense?

So I think that it takes what you desire and makes it happen, with or without your consent. Perhaps, Eko subconsciously wanted to be with Yemi again. He'd done the best he could with his life, and he wanted to go to heaven and be with Yemi. To me, remembering the way Yemi told him he would never be forgiven by god, this scene was like Eko's last bid to get into heaven. So the monster gave him what he desired - a chance to gain his brother's forgiveness, and a chance to start his life over in a different place, with his brother whom he loved.

[Charlies_Chick_1201]

losty09, that did make sense Or at least to me it did. I think that it is entirely possible, but I'm not so sure... At this point, I could believe anything... Its all so insane you never really know! Definitely good theories though!

[losty09]

thanks guys

[Angel07]

Originally Posted by losty09

ok, let me expand for a moment.

If the box is smokie, then it scans people's thoughts and memories and shows them what they want or desire. For most of the losties, that is the person/animal/thing that is most symbolic of their guilt in their past. They seek to overcome that guilt. But Locke is different. He doesn't seem to share the same guilty feelings in his flashbacks. I can't remember, has he ever had hallucinations that were not drug induced? Anyway, so that brings us to the first encounter with the monster, where Locke sees it face to face. Locke, wouldn't seek something from his past because he doesn't want to live in his past an longer. He would seek to see the island, like, it's essence or something. So when he said "I have looked into the eye of this island, and what I saw was beautiful", it would have been the island showing him exactly that, what he most desired. Of course, I've no idea exactly what smokie showed him there, but, meh. Does this makes sense?

So I think that it takes what you desire and makes it happen, with or without your consent. Perhaps, Eko subconsciously wanted to be with Yemi again. He'd done the best he could with his life, and he wanted to go to heaven and be with Yemi. To me, remembering the way Yemi told him he would never be forgiven by god, this scene was like Eko's last bid to get into heaven. So the monster gave him what he desired - a chance to gain his brother's forgiveness, and a chance to start his life over in a different place, with his brother whom he loved.

Yes , o.k., but did it (smokie) have to beat him all over the trees to make him die? Couldn't he just fell and be dead? Or go to sleep and never wake up again? Why did it have to be so spectecular and frightend?

[Michelle]

and smokie killed the pilot, it looked at the time like the pilot didnt wanna die

[losty09]

That's very true. But we don't really know anything about the smoke monster, do we? We know that it can manifest itself into other things, can pick people, knocks down trees, etc. But we don't know if it is manmade, if it spiritual, naturally occuring, or it's motivations. I'm now leaning more towards the fact the the island itself is the box, and that smokie is one of the gears that makes it work. An extension of the island.

But regardless of the box, what do you guys make of the eternity theory?