Numerology – The Swan & Hieroglyphics
For any of you who don’t know, “Numerology is any of many systems, traditions or beliefs in a mystical or esoteric relationship between numbers and physical objects or living things.”
Closely tied to the study of Numerology is the 23 Enigma (strange how 23 is one of “The Numbers (4.8.15.16.23.42).
The 23 Enigma is the belief that most incidents and events are directly connected to the number 23, some permutation of the number 23, or a number related to the number 23, given enough ingenuity on the part of the interpreter.
That is the part I found interesting “given enough ingenuity on the part of the interpreter”
It is also very interesting that I have seen many people make mention of The Illuminati on this site, and The 23 Enigma is said to be a strong belief of those “secret society NWO” groups.
Going back to Numerology and how certain numbers like 23 or a set of numbers like 4.8.15.16.23.42 can connect to any person or thing “given enough ingenuity on the part of the interpreter”
We all know from watching LOST that Hurley is definitely a little schizophrenic and very creative, he wants to re-write star wars! The best part about Numerology and The 23 Enigma is that everyone who believes in it is considered to be crazy.
A famous philosopher named Robert Anton Wilson – (most famous for writing The Illuminatus! Trilogy and one of the books in the trilogy is called “The Eye in the Pyramid”) did a lot of research in Numerology and The 23 Enigma. Wilson came to the conclusion that “When you start looking for something you tend to find it.”
Hurley has been looking for the numbers and the meaning behind them ever since he decided to randomly play them in the lottery. So when Hurley who is delusional to begin with starts looking for the numbers, he starts to notice them everywhere!
When Hurley first comes to The Hatch before it is blown open, he sees (what we now know to be serial numbers, no big deal at all!) THE NUMBERS on the side of The Hatch door, which automatically makes him think The Hatch is bad and that the losties should stay away from it.
IMO, Hurley witnessed those Dharma workers putting “the numbers” on the hatch door as serial numbers, and that is where the numbers originate. The numbers are not special, Hurley has made them special in his head and as a result they become significant at The Swan computer.
(anyone who is out of the loop, The Swan and The Hatch are the samething)
Go back and read my theory titled “The Swan – The Pearl – The Numbers – The Incident” where I explain how I think the numbers got into The Swan computer in the first place. We all know Hurley (like in “Some Like it Hoth) always finds a way to get himself in the middle of all the action, he will be involved in “the incident” somehow and since he has witnessed The Swan computer work in the future, he already BELIEVES that 4.8.15.16.23.42 is the code needed to be pushed every 108 minutes. I believe that Hurley will be the first person to enter the numbers into the computer causing a pattern to form where only those numbers will work as a code.
I also think that this incident is so serious that, not only does the button need to be pushed every 108, but The Pearl must be created and a lot of people must leave the island (like mama and baby Miles) Read my theory “The Swan – The Pearl – The Numbers – The Incident” for more on that.
Now when Miles was tasked to take the body into grid 3.14 or w/e, he said “we’re not supposed to go over there, isn’t that Hostile territory?” and Horace responds saying “That is why you are in the circle of trust.” I believe the creation of The Swan station is what will cause the breaking of the truce, the war and the purge.
When “the incident” occurs I believe the losties will turn to Richard and The Others, same way they did when they wanted to save Ben, they will ask for help to fix the leak, and the others will ablige by helping to build The Swan computer and the countdown timer. If The Others built the countdown timer that would explain the hieroglyphics after the 108 is over, as we have seen The Others use hieroglyphics to design a lot of the islands structures, such as the temple wall.
As for how “the numbers” will reach Hurley in the future and why they are played over and over on the radio tower is simple. The numbers will become “the code” for the computer as a result of Hurley using them the first time. When they fix The Swan by putting in “the button” Hurley will probably say, “What Now?” (Hurley questions everything) and Richard or someone will say “Type in the code, you have always know what it is, and it is your destiny to set the code forever.”
The numbers will most likely be repeated on the radio tower to inform anyone coming to the island of the code, just incase someone else needs to push the button. That is not really a good theory on the radio tower but I am kind of lacking an answer for this one. But of course from the time Hurley first witnessed the numbers as “a serial number” to the time he plays to lottery, those numbers will have been passed on from word of mouth as being special and will find a way to reach Hurley no matter what, it is his destiny to put the numbers into the computer after the incident occurs so he must hear and use them before he ever comes to the island in 2004.
just to mention, I know some1 is going to comment,
Hurley did not randomly play those numbers in the lottery.
They were stuck in his head after hearing some other nutjob repeat them over and over in a mental institution, so he bought a lottery ticket and thought, why not?
These other nutjobs could have been people who were assigned to push the button, and long term exposure drove them crazy so they had to leave the island and the numbers are all they can think about. We know Radzinsky kills himself in The Swan, he probably went nuts down there, and Kelvin wants to escape pretty bad, and poor Desmond, he was starting to go a little crazy himself!
i disagree with the numbers being special. he uses the exact numbers to win the lottery. chances? really slim. have u won the lottery on numbers you were really focused on? prob not.
and then your dad fixes the car youve been working on. and the mileage is those numbers again? do you know how astronomical those chances are??? it boggles my mind and i am well versed in statistics and probability.
the numbers are somewhat special.
actually the nutjob was with a friend and heard the numbers being broadcast in the south pacific, with sam toomey i believe?
I disagree, the writers/producers have even confirmed that we will never get any explanation of the significance of the numbers.
That is because their is no significance. Hurley saw them as a serial number and from his experiences in the future, he thinks the numbers are special and as a result he will MAKE THEM SPECIAL.
As for winning the lottery, c’mon ekolocation do you even watch LOST? Hurley and all of the losties were destined to come to this island. So if something like winning the lottery is what gets Hurley started on his destiny, then the island will make it happen!
And as for the car mileage, Hurley is SCHIZOPHRENIC, thats why when he talks to dead people, he seems them! dressed nicely with a nice haircut as well!
He probably hallucinates seeing the numbers everywhere because he is obssessed with them. YEA
Ya the numbers originate from the island, someone who was either kicked off the island for being crazy or a traitor spread the numbers around to Sam Toomey w/e, it doesn’t matter, all that matters is that the numbers found their way back to Hurley, he is the important character here, not the messengers.
weird. how when hurley says charlie told him jack would be visited soon. and then he sees his dad. hmmm. and his dad is sitting next to him in the car and says, really u won the lottery with the number mileage, thats amazing! just because we wont get an explanation, doesnt mean its not special. and two other people went crazy from the bad luck of the numbers… are they schizophrenic too?
he met one in a mental institution, and if memory serves me correct the other guy killed himself, so yea I would say they were both schizo’s as well.
Hurley may be given messages from dead losties but he is still nuts, he did not recieve those messages before the island but he did find the numbers. And as for his dad seeing the number mileage,
yes. finding the number 23 is easy. finding ALL the numbers in a row is not “looking for it”.
the other two werent schizo. there is no proof they thought people that supposedly werent there were.
oh. and i realize we both arent right yet. we will see. i am just passionately arguing. haha
Joshcgs, I love your theory, as it pertains to the numerology, and The Illuminati, etc.
There are many references to the number 23 in numerology. I have seen this reference in movies as well.
Coincidentally, Room 23 on ‘the island’ was used as a room for brainwashing activities. Recall Karl in that room? I also believe that is where they put Walt at one time as well.
I think the part about the numbers, (4815162342) not having relevance, may not be entirely accurate.
Hurley could have programmed the numbers in the manner in which you state, but that sequence of numbers, and parts of them, have show up everywhere throughout the show for them to have no deeper meaning.
I wouldn’t discount them just yet!
Nice theory, great thoughts!
I believe the numbers are significant. I think what the producers meant when they said that we wouldn’t be getting an explanation for them was that the equation wouldn’t really be explained so we wouldn’t really find out where they come from. But they are most definitely significant. Also significant is that it is now confirmed that Hurley did not come up with the numbers himself. They have a definite origin that does not begin with Hurley.
The numbers most definately did not originate at that moment in last nights episode.
the guy that told Hurley of the numbers was stationed at a WW2 listening post and heard the broadcast of someone (probably Hurley) repeating the numbers.
The same broadcast can be heard in this seasons episode with Rouseau and here team on the beach with Jin. One of her crew hears it comming through his walkie. Which is when they start asking about the radio tower.
WW2 predates the 77 timeline. So the numbers are from a time before the htach being built.
Lostitute – you don’t know that, IMO the numbers had to have started somewhere, and their is nothing more random then a serial number.
Hurley just happened to be their to witness the serial number being put on the hatch door, the same serial number that he is afraid of when he first sees the hatch in 2004.
As for the number predating the 77 timeline, we have no idea what is going to happen on LOST, I am assuming with the statue and all of the ancient egyptian stuff they have been foreshadowing, all of the characters (Kate, Sawyer, Jack, Hurley, Juliet, Jin, Miles, Faraday, Sun, Locke, Ben,Lupidas, etc.) will all meetup in the sametime at some point, and that time will predate ’77, so Hurley will take the number obssession with him to then aswell.
I never said the numbers were insignificant. They are definitely very significant, but only because Hurley made them that way. Other than any significance Hurley has put behind the numbers by making them the code for The Swam, they are just numbers, so maybe you are as crazy as he is!
you think before ww2 some super computer or master god came down and said
4.8.15.16.23.42
these numbers are important, have your mentally ill people spread them around!
no way,,,, the numbers have found a way to be “believed as cursed” similar to the number 23 (good call to whoever made mention of room 23) and has just been passed on from person to person.
Whoever Hurley had heard them from being repeated over and over was obviously insane since he didn’t speak he just said
4.8.15.16.23.42 over and over
people become obessessed with the numbers thinking they have meaning in real life – thats what numerology is, tell me you are not a believer?
is it a coincidence that the serial number for the door, is also the code for The Swan computer after the incident occurs.
Of course not.
Hurley just beleives in the numbers, he knows they work in the future, so he will program them to work from the beginning.
Some Dharma guy would be like “This code you came up with, did you possibly read it on the side of the hatch door or does it have some real meaning?”
Hurley will feel like a jackass and say “Dude, just believe me”
The numbers have come up way to often for Hurley for them to be coincidence. If he saw them once then I’d say yeah, sure… but all of those numbers coming up in that order as frequently as they have? That is just too unlikely.
yeah, and hurley didnt creat the numbers in the past. they are already there
my theory on the radio tower is….hurley records those numbers on the radio tower trying to tell his future self not to use them
maybe it has something to do with the islands feelings…
maybe the island is a yankees fan? it has travelled far and wide, and maybe it just really loves the yankees, as the dudes did decide on retired yankees jersey numbers so…yeah…..maybe the island wants hurley to love the yankees toooooooo
x
Ha, the old Yankee/numbers idea, lol, thats good…
I dont think the island will do that, but who knows, maybe the writers are ‘Sox’ fans, and consider the numbers bad…
hahaa, well i just think that the numbers are said to be the retired yankees jerseys, but maybe its a clue, for the time travel thing perhaps again. as if something changes then the numbers would bare no significance if the yankees players didnt exist……
the dharma workers mention it, but if they didnt mention it how many people would know that? i wouldnt cos im scottish, but because they mentioned it it must mean the numbers have some significance.
the mind boggles……….
x
Does anyone check out the lostpedia? A while ago I found the explanation for their explanation for the numbers.
http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Valenzetti_Equation
I dunno, just passing it along.
I came across this wikipedia site by coincidence and remembered your post. I think William Burroughs little story will definitely support your theory:
I first heard of the 23 enigma from William S Burroughs, author of Naked Lunch, Nova Express, etc. According to Burroughs, he had known a certain Captain Clark, around 1960 in Tangier, who once bragged that he had been sailing 23 years without an accident. That very day, Clark
Who’s to say that Hurley is actually the one who programmed those numbers into the Swan? I mean, it definitely makes sense, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that ended up being true, but you can’t talk about it like it’s a fact yet.
I also had a thought that maybe someone can clear up. The guy in the mental institution who kept repeating the numbers and got them stuck in Hurley’s head in the first place, who’s name escapes me right now… I don’t remember what he looked like. In the last episode when they showed the Dharma workers stamping the serial number on the hatch there was a definite close-up of on of their faces. Could this possibly be the same guy we meet in the mental institution?
Just a thought