‘The Island’, The Phoenician Connection, & The Numbers
This is my interpretation of ‘the island’, the ancient connection to it, and the elusive numbers!
The Island
According to Super String theory, there are 10 dimensions of space, including eight that are hidden in the fabric of reality. I believe ‘the island’ fits into one of these categories. I feel ‘the island’ is likely resonating in 4th dimensional time space.
As a result of Ben turning the FDW, ‘the Island’ has slipped into one of these dimensions. This has wreaked havoc with time ‘skipping’ and for the people presently left on ‘the island’, who are suffering the effects of Temporal Displacement.
In physics there is a concept known as zero-point energy that may help explain a lot of what we are currently seeing on Lost. Zero-point energy is a source of energy linked to the ‘Casmir effect’. Who can forget when we were first introduced to the video from the ‘Orchid’ Station and the magical bunnies. Also, recall the device resembling a vacuum cleaner Mile’s used when he went to the house of the grandmother of the murdered young man to rid his spirit from her home. Another shout-out to the Casimir effect.
There are many who believe zero-point energy has magical effects. It can be mentally directed to make certain things happen such as mind over matter, or allow people to experience past, present, and future simultaneously. We are seeing some of these occurrences in the story line of Lost at present. Think of how Hurley is able to just wish Jacob’s cabin away, until he no longer sees it. Recall, Ben telling John Locke that ‘the island’ is like a magic box. Picture anything you want, and it becomes reality.
This would also account for the ‘whispers’ heard by ‘the losties’. The voices belonging to the ‘whispers’ are their own, for the most part, and are from another dimension of time. They are filtering through, not loud enough to be distinguishable, rather only to be heard in whispers. Imagine, watching your friends about to be attacked. Wouldn’t you yell out to them, ‘stop’ or ‘be careful’, or how about, ‘somebody is behind you’. This makes sense to me.
It is also believed, people can use this energy to cure themselves of illness. We have witnessed Locke’s miraculous ability to walk, when he arrives on ‘the island’. We also know people tend to heal quickly from injury. Not to mention the disappearance of Rose’s cancer. Recall, when Rose and Bernard visit the Australian faith healer in Uluru. The indigenous people of Australia consider Uluru to be a gateway to another dimension. It is also considered to be a magical place where zero-point energy exists. I suspect there are other places in the world, where magical things occur. It is our ‘island’ that possesses the most magical abilities of all.
The Phoenician Connection
The Phoenicians, were known for their remarkable seafaring achievements. They established commercial outposts throughout the Mediterranean, the most strategically important being Carthage in North Africa, now known as modern day Tunisia. They established themselves as significant maritime powers.
It is believed they sailed the world, in particular, the islands in the South Pacific and to America, where ancient artifacts, such as coins, pottery and hieroglyphs have been found and attributed to them.
It is also believed by some, the Phoenicians discovered Atlantis and inhabited it, building temples, which their entire society, religious, economical and political lives were built around. This could explain the ancient connection to ‘the island’, in addition to Tunisia. It also may explain so much more, such as Jacob, and The Smoke Monster.
Regardless of what ‘the island’ is, I believe these may have been the ‘ancient’ people responsible for initially discovering ‘the island’, and becoming its first inhabitants and delighting over its mystical powers.
The Numbers
During the second World War, Listening Stations were established by the Army and the Navy, to intercept and decode secret encrypted messages, which were broadcast on High Frequency Radio Bands.
The messages were generally broadcasted in numbers, the nature of which were only known to the individual(s) who encrypted the message and to the recipient(s) of it. It was used to broadcast important secret messages to army officials, and to spies. These messages changed frequently, and it was the duty of the Listening Station operators to attempt to decypher.
Leonard Simms was stationed at one of these Listening Stations, along with Sam Tooney in the South Pacific, when he picked up the numbers which were on a repetitive loop, until Danielle Rousseau taped over it in 1988. The repetitiveness of the numbers, drove Leonard insane, eventually sending him to Santa Rosa where he meets Hurley. Hurley then, gets the numbers stuck in his head, and he tries his hand of fate at using them in the lottery.
The numbers were being sent out from ‘the island’. It was an outgoing message, broadcast by someone on ‘the island’. The interpretation of this message could only have been known by its intended recipient(s).
Many have suggested the numbers are co-ordinates for finding ‘the island, however, those coordinates are generally recorded in Longitude and Latitude, in degrees, minutes and seconds. I suggest the numbers likely imply something else. A hidden message.
Clearly, the recipient(s) of the message have not yet received it. Exactly what the message is, is too soon to tell with any certainty. However, if we are speaking in terms of time anomalies and flashes to the past, etc., perhaps the one person who knows about the numbers, is Faraday, our resident physicist. He may have encrypted the message. Just maybe, decyphering the message lies in the future memory of someone we already know!
Wonderful theory here Dabs.
Regarding The Numbers, I’m sure I’m going to repeat what others have already said here, but I am convinced that the message being transmitted with the numbers was recorded by Hurley.
With all the time travel on the show I think it’s possible.
I like the idea of it being a hidden message. If it is Hurley, perhaps he is trying to send a message to his future self? Maybe he has to record it because otherwise he would never end up on the island – and things need to be played out as they should.
Sorry, I’m waffling on now 🙂
Thanks emzi, I think you’re on the right track with the numbers!
My thoughts exactly regarding Hurley recording them. I’ll be very anxious to see how this all plays out!
Love the numbers theory. And I reckon Daniel will be revealed to be the epicentre of a lot of what has happened. Great job.
Thanks, CantonRainer. The numbers part of the theory, was the hardest part of my theory to research and write.
I agree Daniel is going to play a major role in ‘past’ happenings. It’s as if he has been setting the stage.
I like the first two aspects of your theory a good deal.
I thought Hurley was responsible for the numbers as well and with last weeks episode (Season 5 episode 5.. I think) When you listen to the voice that is broadcasting over the french radio it sounds exactly like Hurley saying the numbers.
It would be fitting that the numbers which were such bad luck to him brought him into the mess to begin with were ones he himself recorded.
great points dab. I especially like the idea that the island is related to the pheonecians. That would be an excellent way to explain the “foot dungeon” (sorry old joke) and I like the idea of the numbers being some type of coded message. Perhaps the simplest idea is that they were being broadcast so that someone could triangulate the signal and locate the island. Just a guess, and what better way to throw people off than to just pick random numbers to broadcast. That would be much less conspicuious than the message Danielle was broadcasting.
Question. We know Mikhail was involved with the island’s communication equipment. Why would Ben have allowed Danielle’s signal to be broadcast for so long?
Thanks Locko! The Phoenician’s fit the bill, because of their seafaring abilities, the connection to ‘Atlantis’ and ‘Tunisia’, and of course, ‘The Foot Dungeon’ lol
I feel the numbers were likely chosen, because they would be easily identified, to anyone knowing them. aka The ’06’.
I have another theory brewing in my mind, regarding why all of a sudden Ben was UNDOING so many things on ‘the island’.
I am thinking this has to do with re-writing the ‘wrongs’ on ‘the island’.
Hi Thorn, Thanks for your comment. I have thought from the beginning of the show, there was a very good reason why the numbers were so prominent in Hurley’s head.
I think it creates a very interesting dichotomy. Hurley relates the numbers to ‘bad luck’, and perhaps what you suggest is the reason for that.
Also, Hurley’s father taught him, ‘you make your own luck’. Could it be, in the end, they are turned around, into something good?
Perhaps Ben allows the numbers to be broadcast for so long because it gets the people to the island he needs, or BACK to the island maybe…
Thorn, I am kind of thinking that Ben needed Rousseau’s message in the Radio Tower to be destroyed.
Things were building up, the timing was right, and he needed the numbers to be broadcasted. Until the arrival of ‘the losties’ Rousseau’s message was allowed to loop.
I think the reason lies in the ‘timing’ of it all.
That is a very good point, and I would tend to agree that it happened because Ben wanted it to. When he wanted it to and not a minute before or after he is quite crafty.
While I do not “like him”, I love his character.
excellent theory Dabs- You sure go all in!! 5 stars!!
Thanks, lostfan! I guess you can say I am consumed by all things, Lost!
Bravo Dabsi! Not long ago, a theory was posted in the ‘fun’ section, asking what makes a great theory, or something to that nature. Well, here you go. Whether you agree or disagree, the amount of time and research you put into this shows and paid off. I love the theory of Hurley and the numbers. Others have said it, and you sold it in this theory.
I dont really believe that the island “is death” as Charolette so eloquently put it.But if it is, it would make sense that Hurley played the messages for none other than himself, knowing what they meant to him at that point in his life. If he is to truly die there, this could have been his last effort to stop it from actually happening. Hurley trying to change the past. The numbers could be of such importance, that people over the years who have crashed there, could have heard them and went mad, as Hurley and Leonard do. Carving them into the hatch. Choosing them as the code. I still feel that Horace plays some role inn the numbers, but this makes me think from a different perspective.
AES, I take that as an extreme compliment coming from a friend I have much so admiration and respect for!
I agree with your statements ‘the island’ is not death! I am seeing it as the three R’s, and I don’t mean, reading, riting, and rithmetic! lol
Redemption of ones self, Resurrection of ones self, and Re-incarnation of ones self.
I learned the Phoenicians buried their dead in underground tunnels and caves. They believed the ‘dead’ would be resurrected and reincarnated via ‘the underworld’. So, the smoke monster takes on new meaning for me now, more than ever!
That is part of the reason I chose them, as being the first inhabitants of ‘the island’.
I agree about the numbers, because of the length of time they have been playing. I also think they’ll play a big part in the future. Likely, in a heroic way.
Horace is key, with respect to Jacob. I guess I would call Horace, the ‘Caretaker’ of Jacob and the ‘cabin’, of sorts. An important character!
I could never help but think that the mathematician of the island, that possibly had a hand in Jacobs cabin, played some sort of role with the meaning of the numbers. I can see it now, Hurley finds out the numbers are indeed a countdown or date of some sort to doomsday. Goes crazy, and starts saying the numbers over and over lol…not sure if thats true, but I do like your theory
I would have to agree in a sense about Hurley and the numbers.
He believes the numbers are cursed. And, perhaps they ring that way in his head, because subconsciously he does know what they mean. But, the memory has not surfaced yet. He just gets a ‘bad’ feeling.
Hey AES, delayed brain reaction! I just realized Horace was a mathematician!
You could be right about Horace having something to do with the numbers! Nice catch!
Dont get me wrong, I still agree with Hurleys voice broadcasting them. I just meant Horace as one who helped determine “why” those particular numbers.
Again, great theory Dabsi
AES, I hear you! Of course Horace would be a part of the ‘why’ of those particular numbers!
I missed it completely!
AMAZING and original theories there! and all comments were great, namely by AES as usual! thanka for theory dabs.
Don’t we already know why those numbers were selected? Are they not The Valenzetti Equation?
Thanks Thomas5, so glad you enjoyed it! The discussion is what makes any theory more interesting, IMO.
Thorn, The Valenzetti Equation has never been introduced into the story line on Lost.
They were highlighted in the early videos about Alvar Hanso and Rachael Blake.
Logically speaking, the numbers have to relate to the characters on the show, in order for them to be explained and to have any significant meaning or importance.
at least with Hurley. It would be too loose a storyline for me, if the numbers haunted Hurley the way they do without any reasoning why.