There's a lot of things to notice about the Island in which the majority of the action on Lost transpires. You might notice the lush vegetation, the crystal blue water, and oh yeah, you might notice a few ghosts, spirits, and apparitions as well. It's sorta like Sandals meets "The Sixth Sense" that way. In this first entry in this week's extended look at the Island, I want to examine more closely the various supernatural encounters on the Island, ranging from the metaphorical to the metaphysical, and try to tease out what these appearances tell us not only about the Island itself, but those who find themselves upon its shores.

I'm trying to look at the various strange occurrences from both perspectives because to me, it's not clear which is the true source of them. On one hand, you could argue the Island's singular role is producing physical representations of past memories of those who are on the Island. On the other, you could argue that passing through the electromagnetic anomaly surrounding the Island rewires the brains of those who pass through. In the former case, the Island is a sentient entity; the latter, it's merely a backdrop to visions produced through pseudoscientific manipulation of the brain.

Now, the answer probably isn't one or the other, which is most likely why Alvar Hanso and the DeGroots were so interested in the Island in the first place. I've long argued that the Island could be seen as the largest testing ground for "mind over matter" in the world, but what if what's going on is in fact "mind into matter?" It's a subtle distinction, but an important one, and gets to the heart of the status of the Island in the time since the arrival of the Dharma Initiative. Because while I think it would be foolish to argue the Island wasn't unique before the arrival of Dharma, it's unfair to simply assume the way the Island works now was always ever the same.

The history of the Island is, of course, sketchy. We have one ginormous four-toed statue leg, and a geological formation that suggests volcanic activity at some point in the distant past. And, well, that's about it, until the arrival of the Black Rock in the latter half of the 19th century. We can infer, however, from what little we know that something about this Island drew people periodically into its hidden sphere. You can assign the reasons behind said "drawing" yourself: if you believe the Island to be fundamentally "alive," then you would argue that it's picked and chosen its inhabitants over the years, making it sorta like a tropical co-op society. You can also assign the reasons to pure dumb luck: wrong ship at the wrong place at the wrong time.

We do know that the Hanso Foundation saw the Island as a unique place to conduct its experiments. What we don't know is exactly what unique properties they sought to exploit, and more importantly, we don't know what type of unique properties that they inadvertently created once there. In a sense, I would theorize that the Island as we know is a mutated version of the one that pre-dates the Dharma Initiative: one that had inherent magical properties that were altered/augmented by experiments done by the Dharma Initiative.

Thus, when one talks about the Island being "alive," one must inevitably talk about its birth. And by birth, I mean the inception of its consciousness, that moment in which a series of computers becomes Skynet, or that moment in which Lindsey Lohan realized she didn't need a fake I.D. to get into clubs. To say the Island is 5 million, 6 million, 10 millions years old is to say when it was formed; but what I'm looking for is the moment in which it was borne.

Now, we've long seen characters that treat the Island itself as a conscious entity. John Locke's long made a habit of assigning will and reasoning to the Island as a whole, much to the chagrin of Jack Shephard. Richard Alpert is a similar acolyte of the Island. Both treat the Island with deferential reverence, performing actions that will, in a sense, make the Island happy. If you trace a through line for their motivations, you can generally see them performing the will of the Island as they understand it. When they stray from the path, generally they are straying away from that motivation and doing things for those that do not have the Island's best interest at heart.

Now, one need not believe that to see things one really shouldn't. Jack sees his father. Kate sees a horse. Hurley sees Dave. Sawyer sees a boar. Sayid sees a cat. All things which are parts of their past impossibly confronting them on an island thousands of miles (if not more) from when they last saw them. So, it's not merely a matter of the Island rewarding its loyal followers. In fact, Richard agrees to let Ben join what eventually become the Others specifically for his unique ability to see his long-dead mother on the Island. Is he recognizing someone with the same power as him, or one who possesses a gift no one else at the time had?

And that's why I tend to think what we're dealing with is not an "either/or" situation, in terms of the derivation of these fantastical visions. The whole symbiosis makes me think of a few lines in U2's "Walk On":

And love is not the easy thing...
The only baggage you can bring
Is all that you can't leave behind

It's what these particular people bring to the Island that is important, and in many ways singular, which suggests that while the Island can potentially produce images and people long lost, it is not an omnipotent power. It needs those minds; it needs those people. The question remains, however: how long has it truly needed them? From the time of the four-toed statue, or much more recently?

In tomorrow's entry, I'll look at the arrival of the Dharma Initiative as a turning point in the history of the Island, in which a new epoch ushered in by a terrible incident changed not only those on the island, but the Island itself.

In the meantime, do you think the Island is truly "alive"? If so, is it actively producing the various apparitions/spirits on the Island, or is it merely a function of personal psychology interaction with unusual topography? Did the Dharma Initiative merely unleash the island's potential or in fact alter it?

Ryan also posts every 108 minutes over at Boob Tube Dude.

Comments

I do believe the Island is a living thing. Perhaps Jacob is merely the face of the Island. He serves as a way for others to communicate with the Island.

The Dharma Initiative, I believe, through its experiments seemingly unleashed the Islands potential. Although, in that same aspect, in trying to manipulate the Island's properties they created what we know as Smokey.

What date is it on the Island? You mentioned the volcano, which I almost forgot about. I'm just wondering if they will make a connection to the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean which occured on December 26th. I honestly don't think they will go there though. Plus the fake crash occured in the Indian Ocean to throw people off to the Island's actual location, which is probably in the South Pacific.

Shaggysteve | Mar 31, 2008 7:54:01 PM | #

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They won't touch the tsunami, but don't count out the volcano making an appearance...

Jeff | Mar 31, 2008 8:11:26 PM | #

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Jeff: agreed. I don't know how the volcano will come up again, unless this is the reason six people leave behind all their friends and escape to safety. Hmmmm....

And no, that's not spoiler, it's pure conjecture. But the volcano works in the same way a gun works in a play by Ibsen: see in Act 1, see it go off by Act 5. I think they set the seeds for an eventual eruption back in "The Man Behind the Curtain".

Ryan | Mar 31, 2008 8:14:10 PM | #

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here's a thought:

that 4-toed statue may not have been created by ancient Island dwellers. maybe it got there in the same way a polar bear ended up in Tunisia (i think it was Tunisia...), or how Locke's dad ended up on the Island, which i'm going to speculate was some sort of teleportation thingy.

mri | Mar 31, 2008 8:40:13 PM | #

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Ryan, you hit upon something that I've believed about the island since the show started. The island needs these people to exist as an entity. The islands power only increases with the addition of more people. Thus it becomes imperative to certain characters to keep the numbers at a certain level, but more important, with certain TYPES of individuals ("wrong" or "right" types). This pulls me back to certain episodes of Star Trek (the originals and yes, I'm old). In one episode the thoughts and feelings of an entire civilization are contained in a smokey gaseous entity. In another episode, Kirk & company are trapped on a planet and held captive by a Greek god who's survival depends on his followers belief in him. Does anyone recall these episodes?

Brian of the North | Apr 1, 2008 6:53:48 AM | #

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Homer Simpson has 4 toes. Just sayin.

Brian of the North | Apr 1, 2008 6:55:22 AM | #

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Since the writers seem to have a thing for Stephen King's writings, I am going to refer to his novel, "IT".

In the book, "IT" an entity suddenly crashes to earth, seemingly at the dawn of time, and lives deep in the earth, waking every 30 or so years to feed.
As the years go on and people start to appear on the landscape, the creature not only feeds on the physical people but, their psyche's as well. It knows what scares them and thrives on the fear of children especially since they have much more vivid imaginations.
Our island on LOST seems to feed off certain inhabitant's/visitor's fears/insecurities to create visions such as Christian, the horse, Walt...etc. I don't know exactly where I'm going with this except to point out that the island may have existed for millions of years but, what "woke it up" and made it into the anomaly(sp?) it is today? Could it be an alien or supernatural force or is the island simply located in a place where these various anomalies occur due to metaphysical/electromagnetic properties that have built up over time in this particualr location? Or am I just triping?

Chris | Apr 1, 2008 7:06:36 AM | #

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I meant tripping.

chris | Apr 1, 2008 7:08:13 AM | #

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also on the "It" theme, there is an It in in Madaleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time" which thrives off of people's conciousness and uese it to control them.

BOTN - so are you saying they teleported the 4-toed statue from FOX? :-)

mri | Apr 1, 2008 7:10:30 AM | #

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Mmmmm...Dharma donuts.

Ryan | Apr 1, 2008 7:17:08 AM | #

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mri-What I'm saying is that I remember an episode of the Simpsons where Homer gets stranded on an island and ultimately introduces the natives to Indian-style casinos (much to the detriment of their society). I do think a statue of Homer had been erected at one point and subsequently torn down. Coincidence? I think not!

Brian of the North | Apr 1, 2008 7:17:33 AM | #

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BOTN-

that might be the most sensible explanation i've heard for the statue yet.

:-)

mri | Apr 1, 2008 7:32:12 AM | #

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The island is definitely its own entity. Not only is that better television but it makes more sense. Otherwise Sawyer would not have been able to see Kate's black horse as well.

Dean | Apr 1, 2008 8:39:48 AM | #

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Not to get off topic but I got to share with you this horrible 'news' that I came across today...

"A minor earthquake off Guam yesterday has lead to tidal damage of the "Lost" beach on Hawaii's Oahu island. The erosion of much of the beach overnight is said to have been extensive enough that filming on the hit ABC series has been postponed for at least another 4-6 months. The final five episodes to have begun again late April have been put on hold until next season..."

God I hate April Fools Day....

Mark O. Estes | Apr 1, 2008 9:02:34 AM | #

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M.O.E.-

that's just meeeeeeean...

mri | Apr 1, 2008 9:12:52 AM | #

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I toyed with the idea of an April Fool's Day entry, and then thought about how much I've felt fooled by non-show elements recently, and bagged the entire concept.

Ryan | Apr 1, 2008 9:16:50 AM | #

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I know MRI, thats what I felt when I came across. My heart stopped as if a stone spider bit me... I nearly cried... A wave of emotions hit me and I realized how much that I hated April Fool's Day when it came to my entertainment news. So people PLEASE beware of what you read today. No matter how insane it may be.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming....

Mark O. Estes | Apr 1, 2008 9:29:07 AM | #

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MOE-

i'm sure. if i'd come across it, i think i might have thrown my laptop out a window, curled up under my desk ann cried. thanks for the heads up on that!

mri | Apr 1, 2008 9:33:03 AM | #

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I'd be more apt to engage in laptop throwing if, say, we learned that Nikki and Paolo were the ultimate Big Bads of the Lost-verse. If they arose all demon-like at the end of Season 4 and shot laser beams from their eyes, forcing Ben and Charles to overcome their differences, I might have to stop watching.

Ryan | Apr 1, 2008 9:42:04 AM | #

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My God, Ryan man that's just horrible.... But my MacBook is my best friend and I think it would cry with me and scream blasphemy at such a storyline. MRI, after I overcame my initial shocked I was already thinking of building a bomb shelter and not coming out until the coast was clear...

Can someone show me how to do italics and quotes on this board?

Mark O. Estes | Apr 1, 2008 9:53:43 AM | #

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The 'It' idea is definately a possibilty. What about the not being able to kill yourself? Why would this island prevent people from taking their own lives? Does this explain a few of Mikhails miraculous recoveries?

Pearl | Apr 1, 2008 10:18:23 AM | #

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And I remember an old episode of Trek where they land on a planet and random thoughts the crew had started appearing. Airplanes, ninjas, beautiful ladies. Is it possible this island can manifest tray thoughts. Jack not wanting his dad dead, so he isn't, all the horses, Daves and polar bears. In season 1, both times we saw the polar bears were when Walt was reading about them in that comic. The survivors feared other inhabitants and then others were created. Or does this island manifest the things the audience want? Ben being evil, Paulo and Niki dead!!!

Pearl | Apr 1, 2008 10:22:55 AM | #

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Pearl: I did love the fairly realistic way in which the explained the existence of polar bears (via the Hydra), while leaving Walt's creepy summoning abilities fairly unexplained.

In a way, losing Walt hurt the show's narrative, in that he was a fairly useful conduit to the Island itsel. This is why I'm still holding out hope that Miles in some way fills that narrative role before the season ends.

Ryan | Apr 1, 2008 10:37:29 AM | #

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ryan-

if N&P show up again (particularly in that capacity), there will be MUCH more dire consequences than laptop sacrifice, and it will revolve around Darlton, a Room 23 set-up, and an endless loop of those damn Head-On commercials. that's all i'm sayin'.

maybe that should be a new topic for the blog: the absolute worst ways to wrap up Lost.

:-)

mri | Apr 1, 2008 10:57:05 AM | #

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Ryan, I never looked at it like that. If Walt had of stayed on God knows what he would have unsurfaced... He already knew what was going to transpire when Locke was planning to open the hatch which is a key reason why I despise Locke, because maybe Walt saw the hatch was going to be the precursor to what was to come and Locke was too selfish and bone-headed into listening to Walt. I mean if he realized that Walt was special then why didn't he listen to him?

Mark O. Estes | Apr 1, 2008 11:04:04 AM | #

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Sorry for the double post but I was dozing in class when I was writing it. I think that Locke should have listened to Walt or at least stopped and thought about what was going to happen, the ramifications of his opening the hatch and how it would affect the other castaways. Sure he didn't know what was going to happen, but if a little boy who didn't even know about the hatch to begin with tells you not to open it then I think I would have but my brake lights on in my head.

Mark O. Estes | Apr 1, 2008 11:07:55 AM | #

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Now that I think about it a little more, almost every aspect of L O S T can be traced back to Star Trek. But I do like the IT aspects too. How's this for a mind-blower; Remember the Star Trek were the crew investigates a planet with a portal to different times? I think it was called "City on the Edge of Forever". It had it all...time travel, drama, and a deranged white-eyed McCoy (that dudes eyes always freaked me out). More important, the time portal was sentient! Coincidence...I think not!

Brian of the North | Apr 1, 2008 12:24:30 PM | #

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I'm curious where the helicopter that drops Dharma food is coming from. It didn't seem so easy to get there for the chopperettes, is there perhaps one stationed somewhere on the island already, with a handy dandy bunker of food nearby?

Vy | Apr 1, 2008 1:24:31 PM | #

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I'm very intrigued by the relationship between the visions (the horse, the boar), the dead people (Christian, Yemi), and the Island.

While it's likely the Island could be manifesting these people, what if they (and similarly, the whispers) are actually just using the Island? That something about the Island's power is able to manifest the spirits of the dead.

For a visual aid, picture the Island as a whale, and the dead people are barnacles living off of it, either in a parasitic or symbiotic nature.

Other Sean | Apr 1, 2008 2:04:51 PM | #

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Just got this from another LOST site:

Episode 4x12: Kate Goes Crazy

Kate gets exposed to Electromagnetic radiation and starts experiencing time-flashes just like Desmond. She gets all mixed up and kills Jack in a flash-forward, then kills Sawyer in real-time on the Island. Without a Constant she gets the 'sickness' and dies.

Darlton decided to go with this storyline because they grew tired of the love triangle.

I'm sure glad April Fool's is just 1 day.

Shaggysteve | Apr 1, 2008 3:09:28 PM | #

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What about the other island where the others held jack, kate, and sawyer captive? Is that one magical or something too?

Chris | Apr 1, 2008 5:21:34 PM | #

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Dude what's up with that black smoke thing did I miss that explanation,

mr. old | Apr 1, 2008 8:19:29 PM | #

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S'Funny...way back during the first season, the whole concept of the "living island" reminded me of one of my favorite childhood geek-outs : Giant-Sized X-Men #1, (from 1975) which introduced the "new" X-Men...Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, etc.

The new team is assembled to go rescue the original X-Men, who have been captured by this mutant, sentient island. The island is leeching off of their mutant energy and abilities. The one original who managed to escape, Cyclops, leads the new team back to the island to save his pals.

All throughout Lost's four seasons, that story was in the back of my mind, just 'cause the idea of a sentient island is so out there.

And now that it's looking like the series' climax will involve the O-6 returning to save those left behind, it's back in the front of my brain again.

I doubt that this old comic story is a direct influence on Lost, (although Damon IS an X-Men fan, and has written a couple of books for Marvel), but I just wondered if anyone else here was reminded of it.

Or has anyone ever heard Damon mention that comic in any interviews about Lost?

Beast! | Apr 22, 2008 6:36:38 PM | #

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