Jacob…dying for change
Ok. This is a leap for me. Not really a Jacob, Smokey, theorist. Hard to grasp a concept you have been given very little information on, let alone figure the whole thing out, but thats why were here right? Speculation, guessing games, and a little logic. Lets see what we get.
What most think:
Jacob is trapped in or out of the spacetime continuom. I agree with this. Granted, he could turn out to be nobody, or everybody, or a god, or a monster, but Im going with the Idea of what most think.
Joshegs recently posted a few Jacob theories, I agree with some, and disagree with other parts. A very well thought out theory, that made my wheels turn. Those are my favorite kind. I argued/explained/discussed some with Josh, to a small extent, and look forward to his next theory (look in questions..sohrshah has a doozy about Richard) The great thing about the site is, people make you remember things you have forgotten. Thanks for a kick in the head Josh ;]
I wrote a theory a LONG time ago, in a site far, far away, that tried to wind up the timetraveling concience idea, with Jacob, and most beliefs that Jake is having some spacetime continuom troubles.
My idea is actually not as complicated as other Jacob theories and my normal theories. Its pretty hit or miss, and an unusual direct theory from my normal ones.
Basically, I think Jacob is trapped outside of spacetime. I think he experienced concience travel, and was trapped outside of space. Due to the relationship of space and time, he was not capable of moving through time like physical people and objects. I feel that it is possible, that Jacob concience jumped to his past. While doing so, I think he may have ‘changed’ something. I know that is not supposed to be possible. But for one second, pretend that someone could possibly change something, going against the rules of the universe…like time travel was once thought ;]
Pretend that as Jacob goes back in time, (*hypothetical scenario alert*) and while in the past, causes something to happen, say him to get shot in a major artery of something to which he has seconds to live. Say, that as he is shot, he falls back, and knocks a lamp over causing a “flash” of light. This “flash” triggers the part in his brain, that causes him to “jump” back to his true time…But where is he jumping? If the wound inflicted in the past was fatal, and he jumped to the future, which would be his present, what body would he be able to jump into? None!
His body wouldnt exist past the date of which this happened. Say someone like Ben, an evil manipulative person was there for this, maybe even the cause, what if they gathered the remains, creamated them and scattered them around a cabin, in the middle of the jungle, on an island that is impossible to find, and is capable of jumping in time, and causing people to jump in time.
To poor Jacob, he wouldnt even understand the concept of time as we know it. He would experience a ‘Dr Manhattan’ like view of all points in time. A view of everysingle thing that is, has, or will happen to him, and things around him. A second no different than a year, a year no different than a century. He could feel no true pain, or feel no understanding of why he is like this. He would bellow for help, from anyone that could or was willing to, hear him. And on a time traveling island, anyone else who was willing to sacrifice themselves, could possibly go back, change something themselves, and free Jacob of his doom.
This is something I have always held close, and hoped for something like this. Maybe even find out that Jacob sacrificed himself as Locke did, and something went wrong. This is rough around the edges now, as it was last year, hence my not posting. But I want a crack at this, and I think I could possibly be correct. We really havent been given any other reason at this point for concience time travel to have any signifigance on Lost. Im sure it will come home soon, but I wanted this out now. I waited patiently for an opportunity to post this, something I am not good at, and Josh’s theory was well played and got people on the Jacob thinking again.
I would really like feedback on this one, everyones usually pretty good for responding to my thoughts here, whether they believe I am right or wrong, and I hope for no different with this one.
I am open to suggestions and simple “shut ups”, but I think Jacob is going to have something to do with breaking the walls of time, but sacrificing himself in the process. This deadly change in the past, is something that could be a butterfly effect like change effecting all the people we have ever seen on the show. I am excited to hear the responses, and more excited to find out who, what, where, why, and how Jake is what he is.
Jacob is locke!!
Woah, this is cool. Just as an aside, Josh did make some cool suggestions, but the original post about Richard was mine.
I need some time to think about this before responding…
could jacob be faraday?
AES, I love how you get the ‘wheels’ in my brain turning!
I will get the ball rolling on this one, with a few initial thoughts.
Jacob is definitely a disembodied entity. I say entity, because we do not know if he was ever human. That is not to say he didn’t at one time, inhabit the body of a man, in a ‘Jesus’ kind of way.
None the less, I do believe Jacob’s consciousness is trapped in time, and unable to assume the ‘physical’ body he once possessed. This could be for any of the reasons you stated.
This would make sense why Jacob uses Christian Shephard’s physical body as an emissary and perhaps even Richard Alpert’s body in the same way.
Now, we will be seeing Locke entering the picture, similar, but different, somehow.
I don’t think it’s important that Jacob have a body. I don’t think Jacob is any human we have ever met either. I think that Jacob is representative of many, in a god-like way.
I don’t think anyone is going to save Jacob in the traditional sense, and/or bring him back to life, in the physical form. I doubt inhabiting a physical body is his mission. I think he is beyond that. The words he spoke to John Locke, “help me”, were not spoken in an attempt for John to save Jacob. They were intended for Locke, to simply help him, SAVE, on a grander scale.
What Jacob will do, because of his intervention, is bring about an alternative outcome. A re-do if you like, but with different characters playing the parts. Free will will always be at the sole discretion of the people involved, but with a helping hand from above or beyond, will be what changes it all. Not to mention a little help from someone whose intent is to be their ‘saviour’.
The people selected by Jacob have been hand chosen, so that this time around, the desired effect is achieved.
‘The island’ is the stage, and our ‘losties’ and ‘the others’, the players in these real life theatrics.
I think breaking ‘the wall of time’, would not be placing enough emphasis on the situation, he is attempting to resolve.
As always, you have given us something concrete to go on. Thanks for making me think more about Jacob.
AES – Love the continued Jacob discussion, obviously something I find extremely interesting and want to know everything about as well!
I was certainly wrong about Amy & Horace even though it seemed to fit the bill. Someone definitely said Ethan, he was a doctor and Horace is a mathematician, yea yea, nice call!
Now I have no clue what Jacob’s connection to the cabin is. BUT! AES makes some excellent points about how the cabin could have been used as an isolated region to house such a powerful spirit or whatever you would consider Jacob to be.
Dabia and AES – both great ideas! I think you are both right, that he was once alive and had make some sort of sacrifice as John did, but his return did not work out the same way.
I am going to post a question because it is to much to keep writing on here, i would love both of your inputs.
whats with the ash around the cabin? could it be his cremated body?
One step ahead of you Tom ;]
7th paragraph in my theory…
” Say someone like Ben, an evil manipulative person was there for this, maybe even the cause, what if they gathered the remains, creamated them and scattered them around a cabin, in the middle of the jungle, on an island that is impossible to find, and is capable of jumping in time, and causing people to jump in time.”
sohrshah …my mistake on the credit for “Richards hair”…I edited my theory with you name in place. Credit where crdit is due my friend :]
I totally agree that Jacob is someone who is sort of “lost in time”… I like your possible explanation of how that could happen.
love love love it. Totally agree, and have thought this way for awhile. Any thoughts on who Jacob actually was, back when he was a physical being? Maybe a member of the black rock? or maybe he’s even older?
I think, based upon Actor profiles and the correlation in time between the Lost Experience and the first time we see the character’s grandson, that Jacob is Mangus Hanso. This doesn’t really affect why he’s there, what he is experiencing, or how he came to be there. Ben and Tom both refer to him as a “great man”. Neither alludes to him as a God, and Magnus MEANS “great”.
The Blast Door map alludes to Magnus as having been buried on the Island.
Now here’s the kicker. The Black Rock left from Portsmouth in the 1840s. Slavery was abolished in Britain int he 1830s. If Magnus is indeed Jacob, then he was not a good person.
This aso leads me to one last bizaare speculation. A Captain never leaves his crew… right Lapidus? Is there a connection?
or possibly DeGroot
Sohrshah Good notion about a captain and his crew.
While slavery was abolished in Britain in the 1830s the trade (though condemned back home) went on in the colonies for decades after that.
Or perhaps Admiral McCutcheon followed the Black Rock to hunt it down and bring its morally dubious captain to justice.
…but most likely Hanso. I always pictured Degroots being Adam and Eve
I just find it more fun that Jacob is someone we knew the whole time.
like Desmond?