DHARMA Initiative

DHARMAlogo — The possible main DHARMA initiative logo, as seen in Rachel Blake's first video in The Lost Experience ARG

The DHARMA Initiative (Department of Heuristics And Research on Material Applications Initiative) is a mysterious research project, which has a large presence on the Island. Most information on the project is derived from the orientation film found at the Swan DHARMA Initiative station and the ARG The LOST Experience.

The initiative was allegedly founded in 1970 by Gerald and Karen DeGroot, two doctoral candidates at the University of Michigan. It was or is financially backed by the mysterious Danish industrialist and munitions magnate, Alvar Hanso and his Hanso Foundation. The alleged purpose of the Initiative was to create "a large-scale communal research compound where scientists and free-thinkers from around the globe could pursue research in meteorology, psychology, parapsychology, zoology, electromagnetism, and utopian social-"

Note: The last research subject of the initiative was not fully made clear in the Swan Orientation film and is unknown (some have suggested Utopian Social Engineering or Utopian Socialism).

The Sri Lanka Video has revealed that the DHARMA Initiative was part of a project tied to the Valenzetti Equation. The purpose of the DHARMA Initiative on the island is to use scientific research to manipulate the environment to change any one of the core factors of the Valenzetti Equation in order to change the course of the human race.

The Name

At first a complete riddle, the word DHARMA was revealed to be an acronym in an official LOST podcast. Later in the ARG The LOST Experience, through the clues of Rachel Blake (known as the hacker Persephone at that time), players were directed to play a memory game available at the Hanso Foundation's website. Gradually the acronym was revealed and at reaching level 42 (the largest of The numbers) the full acronym DHARMA was revealed as being "Department of Heuristics And Research on Material Applications". The acronym was later confirmed by an appearance in the Sri Lanka Video and an ABC press release [1].

Little is known what the actual explanation behind the name is, although a heuristic is a particular technique of directing one's attention in learning, discovery, or problem-solving.[2] Also, in the Sri Lanka Video, Alvar Hanso (standing in front of the DHARMA acronym) says "it also stands for the one true way".

DHARMA Initiative Stations

Main Article: DHARMA Initiative stations

The DHARMA Initiative conducts its research and activities on the Island through a series of stations. Their specific purposes are largely unknown, but they seem to be the only signs of advanced civilization on the Island (Apart from the Others Village later seen A Tale of Two Cities). They all have (or had) power and water supply as well as various kinds of equipment (e.g. machinery, living quarters, computers, medical equipment, ...). Each facility has its own, octagon-shaped logo.

It was first assumed the orientation films indicates there are six stations (The Swan Orientation: 3 of 6; The Pearl Orientation: 5 of 6). However, the Blast Door Map and subsequent discovery of The Pearl station could indicate there are at least seven or even more stations.

In the feature, "Secrets of the Hatch" on the Lost: The Complete Second Season DVD it is said that the Arrow is the first Hatch. This may be mistaken info, but it should be noted.

Discovered Stations

Presumed Stations

The Door was presumed to be the hatch to another station, but when opened by Sayid in Live Together, Die Alone it was revealed to be a facade covering a rocky wall.

Possible Stations

These were documented on the Blast Door Map but not yet discovered:

The Flame, Station #4.
Two stations labeled with "C3?" and "C4?".
A seventh station that was crossed out. It may not have been built, or might have been destroyed, or might be the presumed station The Door.
There may be four smaller facilities, labeled CV I, CV II, CV III, and CV IV.

DHARMA Initiative Orientation Films

To instruct its members, the DHARMA Initiative has created several orientation films. Known films are:

The Swan Orientation Film - Instructing the Swan Station's inhabitants about the protocol, supposedly as a consequence of an unspecified incident. The films includes a short history of the Initiative.
The Pearl Orientation Video - Instructing Pearl Station inhabitants on monitoring The Swan station.
The Psychology Test Orientation Video - Revealed in the LOST experience.
The video filmed in the Sri Lanka Video - Allegedly created in 1975, provides a broader history and overview of DHARMA.

DHARMA Initiative Members

Known members of the DHARMA Initiative are:

Alvar Hanso - Funder of the Initiative, and narrator of the overall orientation video from 1975.
Gerald and Karen DeGroot - The Initiative's founders.
Marvin Candle/Mark Wickmund - A man who instructs the orientation films, found in The Swan and The Pearl, he identifies himself in the films as, respectively, Marvin Candle and Mark Wickmund.
Radzinsky - Occupant of The Swan station.
Kelvin Inman - Occupant of The Swan station, former spook.

DHARMA Initiative Logos

The Swan station's logo.

Main article: DHARMA Logos

The DHARMA initiative is represented by a series of distinct 8-sided logos. These octagon-shaped logos used by the Initiative appear on many items and are seen in the various DHARMA Initiative stations on the island; they also featured in the orientation films.

The logos are all based on an octagonal design incorporating eight trigrams surrounding a central symbol. The central symbol is unique for each station. The design of the logo was derived from a Chinese concept known as "Bagua". [3]

Status of the DHARMA Initiative

The current status of the Initiative is unknown. Hugh McIntyre, head of marketing and promotion for The Hanso Foundation stated the DHARMA Initiative was canceled in 1987. He made these claims in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, broadcast on 24 May 2006, and also claimed that the information shown on the TV show Lost is fictional. However in the Sri Lanka Video, filmed by Rachel Blake in July 2006, Thomas Mittelwerk is seen showing several people a DHARMA Initiative orientation video, suggesting that the project might still be active in some form. The Swan station on The Island also received supplies with DHARMA-branded food and necessities up to at least December 2004 and Kelvin Inman is known to have joined the DHARMA Initiative after the Gulf War in 1991, both indicating that the Initiative did not end its operations as McIntyre has implied.

In a hacked section of the Hanso Foundation website on June 19, the hacker Rachel Blake (Persephone) posted a message, questioning the status of the DHARMA Initiative and its members.

“

WHO WERE THEY?
WHERE DID THEY GO?
WHY DIDN'T THEY RETURN?
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE DHARMA INITIATIVE?

”

In the Sri Lanka Video, Thomas Mittelwerk claims "we all know what happened - the DHARMA Initiative failed."

Cultural References

The word Dharma comes from a Sanskrit word that literally means "to hold"
The word Dharma means "moral duty" - literally "to hold" a person to his/her purpose.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, dharma is:
- In Eastern religion, Dharma (Sanskrit धर्म) means Natural Law or Reality, or the "Way of the Higher Truths".
  - The principle or law that orders the universe.
  - Individual conduct in conformity with this principle.
  - The essential function or nature of a thing.
- In Hinduism
  - Individual obligation with respect to caste, social custom, civil law, and sacred law.
- In Buddhism
  - The body of teachings expounded by the Buddha.
  - Knowledge of or duty to undertake conduct set forth by the Buddha as a way to enlightenment.
  - One of the basic, minute elements from which all things are made.
  - Teaching - the lessons given to the student by the teacher
  - The Path of the Teaching - the journey of the student that ends ultimately in the alleviation of suffering and/or the undoing of karma
  - Ultimate Reality - the realization that the most fundamental element of the universe is happiness, bliss, or Nirvana

Trivia

During DJ Dan's 7/05 podcast, a listener by the name of Anthony called in saying that in the 70s his grandmother joined a what he thought was a cult. He said that the cult was called the "KARMA Imperative", although he probably meant to say the DHARMA Initiative but simply misspoke the name. According to Anthony's story, his grandmother joined the "KARMA Imperative" while attending the University of Michigan and was taken to an unknown location in the South Pacific and was never seen again, declared dead.
- In DJ Dan's First Live Podcast of August 11, 2006, Dan identified Keith Strutter as the guitarist and founder of Geronimo Jackson, and noted that Strutter's previous band was called The Karma Imperative.

Real World References

In the October 9th, 2006 episode of NBC's The Office. Dwight asks Ryan "What is the Dharma Initiative?"

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