Back to Theorizing: Observations of the Light Tunnel

After a moment of denial and acceptance of “The End”, I’m so ready to move forward and start theorizing again. I’ll at least say it was a superbly created episode, although I am dissapointed the ATL was purgatory. “The End” offered some superior moments of action and emotions, as well as detailed scenes of the Light Tunnel’s interior, giving us more pieces to work with at putting together the puzzle of the Sci-Fi and Mythological elements of Lost….

Natural and Man made Origins of the Light Tunnel
The scene of MIB floating into the tunnel, the light dimming, and the Smoke Monster emerging is in complete contrast to Desmond and Jack going in. They were able to harmlessly rope down the water fall and have direct contact with both the Light energy and the water collecting in the pool. Even if they slipped off the rope, I’m certain their fall would have only injured them (3 skeletons down there, perhaps their fate?) without interupting the creation of the Light energy.

MIB’s fall certainly did interrupt the Light Energy. MIB’s fall down the water fall must have resulted in instant contact and contamination to the energy source in order for the Light to immediately go out. So what was different during MIB’s fall that allowed this to happen?

Well, given that the “corked” collection pool was obviously man-made, I suppose the tunnel interior was at one time a completely natural setting. And because Mother’s intent was to guard the location of the tunnel, it’s highly probable no person had ever seen or entered the tunnel before MIB did. Perhaps the Light Energy was at one one time being naturally produced from a completely natural version of the “corked” collection pool.

Channeling the Water and the Light: The Mechanics
The speed of the water is first baffled by the rocks and stalagmites just below the water fall. This part of the process might also purify the water even more by filtering between the rocks. Next, the water enters the pool by passing through a flume-like structure. There are 4 tunnels located in the pool, and I can only guess the water exits the pool through these tunnels since it already flows into the pool via the flume.

Now here’s an observation I found most intriguing; the hole that the cork “corks” is NOT a tight seal. There are actually several channels down the sides of the hole, allowing a constant stream of water into the energy source at the depths of the island. I believe this is the purpose of the pool and cork; to allow a measured constant flow of water into the energy source.

A Natural Version of the Process
In order to replicate the process naturally, I seriously doubt it was originally a corked pool setup! All you need is the right amount of water streaming into the energy source. Water still enters in through the waterfall, and exits by a stream (same stream MIB and Jack were in). Only a small amount of water is used in the process. My guess is, it must have been a massive pool of water the water fall poured into. A small natural opening (or series of openings) at the bottom of the pool allowed water to steadily stream into the energy source. This process, because it was natural, could have been highly unstable, and all it took was some foreign object falling into the pool to disrupt it.

Key Differences Between the 2 Processes
The corked pool process keeps the energy source below almost completely isolated from the pooled water. For the natural process, perhaps the pool opening allowed more direct access to the energy source. This is kind of stretching things I realize; but I’m thinking the primary reason for MIB transforming into Smokey was his direct contact with the process of the Light energy creation, and not just the water used for the process. In other words, if Des could have somehow slipped down a cork channel, into the reaction itself, his “otha life brutha” might have been way different. Des exposed the reaction when he pulled cork out, but afterwards with excess water flowing into the source, it was no longer the correct balance of water and light, and the reaction soon subsided.

It’s also interesting to note that although this huge reaction is taking place just below the pool’s rock bottom, the light is shielded from escaping via the rock and the cork. But it’s obvious; the light is still allowed to partially escape and scatter throughout the tunnel. I’m thinking that the light energy is using the channeled water as the medium for escape; as if the channeled water was a huge fiber optic cable plugged into the reaction itself. Maybe this is what gives the water it’s healing properties(?)..although didn’t seem to heal dying Jack 🙁

The Creation of the Corked Pool
So I’m coming across an interesting dilemna in writing this theory. MIB lost his invincibility powers and became fully human when Desmond uncorked the pool and turned out the light. If the light source also went out during the creation of the Smoke Monster, then how can the Smoke Monster have it’s power?!! This seems totally contradictory; light turns off to create Smokey, but the light must be on to give Smokey his powers. Well, I can only surmise there was one difference between the two light-turning-off events; Smokey had a human form in 2007, and he did not during his creation. In Smoke Monster form, maybe he lacked some powers with the light being off. And it makes sense that if he was stuck as John Flocke when the light was off, he was probably stuck as Smoke when it was off before. This gives Smokey ample motivation to get that light turned back on; so he can turn human again, and eventually leave the island!

So this sets up the perfect opportunity for Jacob’s game. Jacob wants to bring men to the island to prove MIB wrong, and MIB needs men to come to the island so he can show them how to construct a system to properly channel the water and the light. I’m sure Jacob also needed that light turned back on; otherwise what was he protecting? This is man’s first test on the island; being able to harness the Island’s energy, will they use it to their own destruction? I’m thinking they failed that test because that group of people (probably Egyptians) were no longer living on the island. Lost could have had some great episodes showing these events, but after “The End”, it’s all left up to our imagination..

Other Observations concerning the Light Tunnel
I loved the part when Desmond uncorked the pool and the Light Energy slowly subsided, like it was a huge Star Trek warp core engine switched off. As the power was decreasing and the darkness was taking over the cave, anybody notice the distinct sounds? It was a deep hum, then slowing to a rhythmic pulse, then off. Just like a jet engine turning off; when it slows down enough you can hear the rhythm of the rotations. Rotations, rhythm, pulses; how much do you want to bet, the pulse of that Light Energy core when properly corked was humming at a constant 11 cycles per second? At some magnitude of 2.342? hmmmmm…

Another brief observation; the water used in the flow is from a natural stream. It was stopped when the light was out, started again when the light was back on. Maybe the rain storms we are used to seeing happen suddenly on the island are directly related to the Island’s need to have fresh water flowing into the Tunnel Light?

Lastly, the whirpool of water flowing into the uncorked hole, reminded me of another whirpool; Ben’s waterhole used to summon the Smoke Monster. Perhaps Ben’s waterhole used to be a miniature version of the corked pool. Why can’t there be more than one version of the Light Energy systems constructed throughout the island? Why not have little replications of these systems so people can harness the energy more readily? If this is true, Ben’s water hole was just a remnant of what used to be a beautiful pool with the light energy, and is now just a stagnant water collection somehow used to signal the monster….

Please, I welcome comments, more observations, criticisms, cut it up!!