Grand Unified LOST Theory - Part One

I haven't commented on The Economist and Eggtown yet, because I wanted to frame those comments in the context of what I think is going on. So, here's the first part of my overall theory, which takes us up to the plane crash.

Grand Unified LOST Theory Part One

Everything happens for a reason. The Universe has a way of course-correcting. These two statements are the keys to understanding LOST.

At the intersection of "ley lines", where Earth's energy is concentrated, is an island. At least one ancient civilization knew of this place, and perhaps others. Realizing it was special, they built temples and other monuments. The island's power provided residents health and long life, but at a cost. They could not reproduce. Eventually, through accident, suicide or malice, they fade away.

But Others came to the island. They were adventurers, explorers, mariners and perhaps aviators. They arrived by "accident"; blown there by storms; misdirected by instrument readings. They found others marooned on the island and eventually formed a society. In time, they began to understand and use the power concentrated there, and to feel protective of their new home.

The Others felt threatened when strangers arrived on the island. The Hanso Foundation's DHARMA Initiative, an idealistic group of scientists and researchers, set up a research compound to study the island's unique properties . DHARMA researchers discovered the island creates "a kind of Casmir Effect", generating enormous energies by from Zero Point Energy, the energy of the quantum vacuum. DHARMA harnessed this energy and discovered it could be used to warp spacetime.

It is probable that the bizarre biomechanical entity known as the Black Smoke was inadvertently brought across time by DHARMA. They learned how to repel it with a sonic fence, but never understood what it was.

DHARMA continued its dangerous experiments. In one, a polar bear was transported in space and time to ancient Tunisia. And in a terrible accident, a researcher named Jacob was changed in such a way that he is no longer living in normal, four dimensional spacetime. Like Jacob himself, the accident shifts the island itself is out of sync with the rest of the world.

Jacob, no longer limited by Time and Space, sees past, present and future.

In a future timeline, Jacob sees that DHARMA's tampering with time has changed "what was supposed to happen". He sees the evil Widmore Corporation, a contributor to the Hanso Foundation, has discovered DHARMA's ability to manipulate spacetime. He sees that Widmore will kill all DHARMA personnel and while trying to wield the power of the island for control of the world, destroys the world. Jacob is determined to course-correct the future and prevent the island's power from falling into the hands of Widmore.

Although he exists outside normal spacetime, Jacob is able to communicate with certain people, including Ben Linus, a DHARMA workman who has been in contact with the Others for many years. Jacob mandates that they kill most DHARMA personnel to prevent the secrets of the island from falling into Widmore's hands (Jacob knows they would die anyway). Ben, by following Jacob's guidance, becomes the leader of the Others. The Others respect and revere Jacob. Ben, essentially Jacob's "high priest" is also held in high regard, at least at first.

Jacob instructs Ben on the use of the DHARMA transport technology. Ben uses this "magic box" to move himself and others on and off the island, but under the pretense of using a submarine. Ben travels the world to recruit people to the island. He also monitors and counters the activities of Widmore to try to keep him from locating the island. To insure total control of communications, Ben stations his most loyal followers at the communications facilities. Later, he manipulates events to remove any means of physically leaving the island except his "magic box".

Jacob is contacted by other entities who are "not enslaved by time and space". They show him that Ben will become increasingly out of control, and will be unable to stop Widmore without help. In their timeless existence, they play out all possible scenarios and arrive at a complex plan. They identify people with the unique talents, skills and personalities they need - pieces and pawns in a chess game for the future of humanity.

They select from only those who would benefit from being on the island. Then they travel in time and space, appearing in many forms - psychics; monks - subtly guiding the choices and outcomes of thousands of seemingly insignificant events to direct their players in certain directions. They sign on with DHARMA, or sail around the world, or book a flight on Oceanic 815.

The pieces arrive. Now the game begins. There are two sides - one light; one dark. The stakes are the very survival of the human race.