The Heart of the Island/Theories

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Theories about The Heart of the Island

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Theories may be removed if ...

Stated as questions or possibilities (avoid question marks, "Maybe", "I think", etc). More appropriate for another article. Illogical or previously disproven. Proven by canon source, and moved to main article. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead). This does not include responses that can stand alone as its own theory. Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response. See the Lostpedia theory policy for more details.

The Well of All Souls

The "light" is depicted as coming from a pool of water at the bottom of the cave. The Mother tells Jacob and MiB that everyone has a little of this light inside of them, and if the light were ever to go out, it would also go out in all men. When Desmond removes the "cork" from the pool, and the water begins to drain, this causes the depletion of all souls everywhere...although it is "re-corked" in time to prevent total annihilation.

The cork itself may be a representation of the Osiris Pillar, also known as the Djed. During the Festival of Renewal, the Djed would be raised to represent the stability of the rule of the current Pharaoh. The Djed itself is connected with Osiris and the Tree of Life, said to represent his backbone; the Nile River, the water source of all life in Egypt, is also said to be Osiris' backbone. Although the real Djed is much larger and is adorned with shapes and splashes of color not found on the cork, this could be a good representation.

The cork being the Djed could also coincide with two other symbols seen on the Island: according to academic writers Gordon and Schwabe, the Djed, the Ankh, and the Was were all holy symbols in Egyptian culture based on the biology of cattle. The Ankh was a cross-section of a bull's vertebra, the Djed the sacrum of a bull's spine, and the Was a dried bull's penis. The Ankh is represented in the hands of Tawaret, who, despite originally being the wife of the God of Evil, Apep, was later associated with life and protection; Her pregnant belly protected unborn life, and her one hand resting on the Sa came to represent the flooding of the River Nile (which was also the signal to start the Festival of Renewal). The Djed is, as stated, the cork in the center of the Well of All Souls. The Was is represented in the staff Locke/MiB was carving in the final season; the Was is a symbol of power and dominion, which Locke/MiB felt he had secured with Jacob's death. The Was is traditionally forked at the bottom end with an animal head carving at the top, but seeing as this particular staff was never completed, we shall never know for sure if that was its intended reference. Interestingly, the Was is associated with Set, who killed his wiser and humbler brother-king Osiris by trickery; his reign of chaos was ended only when Horus killed him in revenge. Also interestingly, Tawaret is noted as one of the concubines of Set.

Side-note: If MiB were, in fact, representing Set in this trifecta, it would also (partly) explain his smoke-monster form: Set is most powerful in his animal form, which is described as "typhonic" and also said to anatomically resemble a canine. Thus, the name Cerberus (who is depicted as a three-headed dog in Greek Mythology) given to the smoke monster by the Dharma Initiative could be a double-entendre.

Furthermore, the visual well itself could be another Egyptian reference to the deification of the watery abyss, the Nu. In Egyptian Mythology, the Nu (watery one, abyss), or Nun (inert one), was the source of the primal mound of land on Earth; rather, the primal mound of land sprang from the heart of the Nu/Nun. Nu is transcendent at the point of creation alongside Atum, who himself is depicted as "the complete one" who will finish the world and return it to its original watery chaos at the end of the creative period. Atum is also, as is Tawaret, depicted as carrying an Ankh in one hand (although rather than resting his other hand on a Sa, in it he holds a Was).

If your brains can handle all of this, take note of one another cross-reference: The Nu had no temples of worship, but are very specifically represented at one unique location in Egypt by the presence of an underground stream; Abydos. Amongst the temples at Abydos, considered the most important archaeological site of Ancient Egypt, there is also the Osirieon. The Osirieon is an underground temple predating the ancient Egyptians, around which the temple of Seti was carefully built. The Osirieon also contains the only underground Djed on record. The temple itself was also specifically placed geographically to the Osirieon to show the importance of the shrine; specifically, the location of the Osirieon to the temple of Seti I render the temple less important than the shrine, and the temple itself if the most complete of all those in Abydos.

As for the skeletons in the cave and the small ritualistic stone forms, these were most likely the original inhabitants of the island, worshipers of Nu and Atum and their tiny dwellings, respectively. It is said that when Atum created the spirits of the sibling gods of air (Shu) and moisture (Tefnut) out of his loneliness in the void, they, too, became restless. They went to explore the void and became lost, so Atum sent a messenger of fire to bring them home. When they returned, his tears of joy became the first human beings.

Thus, in terms of the story, Atum's tears would fill the Well of All Souls at the Heart of the Island (the land formed from Nu/Nun and their watery choas), and the first humans created by it lived there to protect and worship it. However, as with the siblings of Atum, they became restless and went beyond the cave. The truth of the Island given to Jacob and MiB by The Mother may be partly true; the lands across the sea are nothing without the Island (seeing as it is the source of all life), and that those who come to it are not LOST on it, but rather returning home (as she states when she says that they are all from the Island). However, none can return to the sacred Well of All Souls after having been tainted by the pain and horror of the world, and thus any person who enters it is transformed into a typhonic creature cobbled from the aspects of the first three creatures created by Atum: air, moisture, and fire. The exception to this would be Desmond David Hume, who is the in-story representation for philosopher, historian, and empiricist David Hume. David Hume was ever more famous as an historian than a philosopher, although his philosophy was founded on the psychological basis for human nature, and the conflict between the naturalist Science of Man and Reason. (Desmond) David Hume and his beliefs could warrant one of three things:

• 1) His summoning to the Island by forces greater than Jacob because of his innate understanding of life, granting him the ability to see the truth.
• 2) His being created by forces greater than Jacob for the express purpose of coming to the Island to do exactly what he did; in other words, an Agent of Atum to bring to fruition the God's role: the return of the world to its watery chaos.
• 3) Desmond is the closest thing in the world to a direct pure descendant to the original humans of Atum, the one with those genes least spread apart. This would grant him the physical properties necessary to survive close proximity to the Well of All Souls, and the interaction with all of the other associated electromagnetic phenomena.

It is also possible that Hume does not reference the philosopher, but the type of soil, hume being a soil full of organic nutrients that cannot themselves be broken down any further; thus, they will remain in their life-nourishing state for centuries or even millennia. Hume could also be a reference to Higer-ordered Unified Meta Environment, a computer language based on finite-state automaton. In such automaton, the behavior of the machine as a whole is dictated by the finite memory and transitions to and between a finite number of defined states (such as Desmond being flashed around through time and consciousness). The behavior is non-deterministic; if one method fails, simply trying another input may work, and generally, the initial input itself is the solution, rather than the proceeding calculations (in other, words, the solution to the problem of The Swan Station was simply to have Desmond in it; only he could survive the inevitable failure of that derived system, only he could turn the key, only he could save Charlie long enough to warn that it was Not Penny's Boat, and only he could enter the Well of All Souls. His very presence, or his input, is the necessary solution to the problem.). Thus, Desmond is the only remainder to an unbalanced equation, and would have had no other human fate than to enter that cave. Jack only survived because the Well had been un-corked, and would have certainly died had he stayed there after "system restoration." However, just as MiB, his form was ejected from the cave (he just happened not to have bled out yet, or drowned like MiB after being thrown into the water).

One last thing, totally unrelated to actual mythology, but cool nonetheless. The Chant of Light, as recorded in Dragon Age: Origins (and if the producers didn't play this game, then I'm a codfish swimming in urea), states in Chapter 14, verse 11:

Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls. From these emerald waters doth life begin anew. Come to me, child, and I shall embrace you. In my arms lies Eternity.

And I'm spent.

Egyptian Alchemy ?

One explanation of the chamber within the heart of the island is some form of esoteric spell, perhaps one using a form of alchemy. So, rather than being some natural phenomena that has always existed, it was deliberately created, by ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians as whole were not a great sea faring race (they hugged the coasts) though there was a theory that perhaps they reached the Azores or even circumnavigated Africa.

Perhaps though that it wasn't explorers who discovered the Island by accident, but a breakaway party of priests and supporters that deliberately looked for an isolated island on which to create a magical experiment, one which which would create a "magical power source" based on their religious beliefs and/or symbolic representation of Egyptian elements as detailed above. The result was the chamber at the heart of the island. The only problem was that after creating that source, it killed most or all those involved in the ritual (explaining the skeletons found by Jack), leaving a few survivors who may have either tried to leave or stay and tap into that power (which was only accessible from the island). - -- Laura Ess 10:30, May 27, 2010 (UTC)

If we belive what mother and jacob said about the light being the life, the death, the rebirth.. So i think that it must have been there much time before the egyptians.. in fact it must be previous to mankind. --Viktorkako 11:55, May 30, 2010 (UTC)

Afterlife

The "light" is the afterlife, and the Heart of the Island is a way to get into the afterlife. Thus, there needs to be a protector to keep people from going into it or from it going out. Just like it's shown during the church scene in "The End", where everyone walks into the light, that is, the afterlife, the light in the Heart of the Island is a "door" to the afterlife, and in order to keep it contained, or from the afterlife to spill into current life, there needs to be a "cork" to stop it. The Smoke Monster was created when he went into the afterlife without properly dying. The Source also needs to be protected so that the only gateway into the afterlife is not "put out," which is what the MiB was trying to do for his own selfish reason of leaving the island.

• Guess that makes the nickname "Cerberus" for the Monster all the more Ironic.
• I agree, light is the way to afterlife. Under Swan station is also similar source (and on other places on the Island with strong electromagnetism), because when Swan timer reached zero, hieroglyphs that would turn up translate as "afterlife", perhaps DHARMA somehow found it out after the Incident.
  • The electromagnetism is one of the ways that the light manifests itself in reality. When Desmond turned the failsafe key, he was essentially dosed with the essence of the afterlife... and survived. This is the core of his unique abilities (limited clairvoyance, being able to percieve the Losties afterlife while still alive).

It exists all over the world, but only in abundance on the Island

• The healer that couldn't help Rose told her and Bernard that there were pockets with healing energy all over the world.
  • A very good point; perhaps the interference (through The Incident) damaged these healing powers, resulting in The Sickness and Locke's temporary paralysis?

It is intended as an answer, not a new mystery

• This was not meant to be a new mystery, but a long-awaited answer to the mystery of the Island and its guardianship. "The Source" is what keeps the world as we know it alive. It keeps "the light on." If the light goes out, the world ends, so someone must protect it. Period. Mankind is not really capable of understanding this life force beyond the clear explanation provided by Mother.
• The light is nothing more than a symbol, and was intentionally made vague and somewhat incomprehensible in order to shift focus from the island itself to its inhabitants and the relationships between them.
• The producers have now said this themselves. They discuss the possibility of taking this concept a few steps forward, but more likely than not, this is the best answer we'll get.
  • To hell with the producers; if they don't feel compelled to tie up their loose ends, we'll do it for them.

Nature

• The light in the tunnel leads to the same electromagnetic pocket as the Swan, the most powerful on the Island and in fact its heart. It is also possible that it may have the same ability as Jacob's Cabin, in that it is able to move around the Island and only certain people are able to find it.
  • Note the light reaching into the sky the second time Jacob and Mother visit the tunnel; it is similar to the Swan hatch light, and may even be the same location, although obviously Desmond's light shining up isn't literally the Source light.
• The light is tied to MIB/Smokey's soul now. This is why if he leaves the Island, everyone will die or will cease to exist. The light may also be what Widmore is searching for with Jin's maps and with Desmond as an eventual "sacrifice" to the light to somehow stop MIB. With the reveal of this mysterious and hidden source, it's unlikely that Widmore was looking for just any electromagnetic pocket.

The Magic Box

• If Ben was being at all truthful about the magic box, The Source may be it. It seems to fit with his description about being "somewhere" on the Island, and capable of infinite power. Ben may have been told about it or shown it as part of being the Others' leader, just like how he knew exactly what the wheel would do. Seeing the Source may also have made him so devoted to the Island.
• The magic box has been said to be simply a metaphor.
  • By Ben, who is a compulsive liar.
    • The writers themselves called it a metaphor, on several occasions.
      • A metaphor is not the same thing a meaningless combination of words. Sayin the "magic box" is a metaphor just means that it isn't literally a magic box. If the metaphor has any meaning or application at all, this could well be it. Or possibly the Island at large.
• More likely, the magic box was Smokey, who interacted with the Island's inhabitants would aid them when it furthered his interests. (The inhabitants, be they Others, the DHARMA Initiative, or incidental visitors, wouldn't know Smokey/the MiB was malevolent in that encarnation.)

The light is bad, and the nuke destroying the island, and releasing the light, was actually a good thing

• The implications of this are numerous. The "guardians", including Jacob and his "mother" before him, are charged with protecting the light not because it would do damage to the world if it were lost or misappropriated, but because it's the source of their own personal power/immortality. When the guardianship is passed from one to another, it somehow ensures the guardians' immortality a la Being John Malkovich. Jacob may have been manipulated on this score, and his mother may have exploited his goodness to convince him to assume the role of guardian, and she may have thanked the MiB for killing her because dying was a prerequisite to assuming her immortal place inside of Jacob. After all, in a lot of ways, she was far more like the devious, manipulative MiB than she was like the honest, good-natured Jacob. The light, in other words, is actually bad, and the guardians have actually been exploiting it for their own gain. Releasing the light, either by letting MiB off the island or by destroying the island altogether, will actually be a good thing.
• Jacob wasn't "good-natured". The episode clearly made it a point to show the "dark side" of Jacob, by showing his immaturity, brewing jealousy, and violent tendencies. It is actually the MIB who was the far more good-natured one, as he did not even fight back to defend himself when he knew Jacob was going to kill him, and he always had patience and hope. Even when they were children, the MIB let Jacob beat him up and didn't fight back. Jacob killed his brother in a fit of jealous rage, the MIB killed the mother after she'd bashed his head into the well, murdered all of his people, and years after he learned that she had in fact murdered his real mother and stolen him from her. Even after that, the MIB was pained when he killed her, and only did it because he felt she was insane and therefore had to be stopped before she caused even more damage. The episode made it very clear that the MIB, before he became the smoke, did not like fighting and was a far more peaceful and compassionate individual than Jacob. It is only after spending centuries with his soul trapped as the smoke and the strong memories of the pain of betrayal and suffering that he starts fighting back and killing. He is disgusted with humanity because he was betrayed by even the very people he loved and trusted (Mother, and his brother, Jacob).
  • Jacob may be quick to anger, but he is also quick to forgive. The MiB is slow to anger, but slow to forgiveness as well. He has been harboring a grudge against Jacob, Mother, and all mankind for centuries. Immediately after finding his brother's body, he cradles his head and weeps, showing that he loves him and he's sorry for what happened - he forgives his brother for trying to leave. When Richard tries to kill him on the beach, he beats him senseless very quickly (although this is really self-defense), then sits down and talks with him. I think the purpose of this episode was not to show his dark side, but to show how he has progressed. The MiB's regression from his calm, pensive self to an angry, malevolent individual is antithetical to this.
    • The MIB did not need to be forgiven for wanting to leave the island, since he just wanted to see the world and be free. He was not doing anything wrong by trying to escape and be free. He was just searching for the truth, instead of blindly accepting everything "Mother" told him. Unlike Jacob, he was not a blind follower, he questioned and thought for himself. He wanted Jacob to go with him, he wanted him to be free too. The MIB loved and cared for Jacob so much, that not even once did he strike back to defend himself whenever Jacob was beating him up. Not even when he was being murdered by Jacob did he lift a finger to defend himself. It is only after having his soul trapped and tormented for many centuries with all that pain, that he finally thought of fighting back and killing Jacob. After that much time with that much pain, especially knowing that you were betrayed and hurt by the very people you loved and trusted, anyone would fight back, anyone wouldn't find it hard to forgive. Jacob, in a fit of violent rage, killed his brother for killing the crazy mother, the same woman who had killed their real mother, deceived them and imprisoned them, and had just finished killing all of the MIB's people.
• The MIB, when he first learned the truth, did not even confront her. He did not "hold a grudge". He forgave and just wanted to leave peacefully. He cared for her so much, that when he was an adult he continued to ask Jacob when he'd come to visit if Mother ever asked about him and how he was doing. It is only after many years, after she has done all those things (bashing his head in the wall, killing his people, preventing him from leaving again) that the MIB killed her, and it is obvious that it pained him to kill her, as he shows remorse immediately and it is clear he still loved her despite everything she had done. People keep saying that Jacob believes in free will and that he has matured and become wiser over the past 2000 years. But Jacob brings people to the island against their will, he marks them from the beginning of their lives. He never questioned fate, and always did exactly what his adoptive mother told him to do. He didn't give his brother any free will, instead he murdered him and turned him into the smoke, took away his humanity. That is definitely NOT free will in the slightest. Nothing that Jacob has done is about free will. The MIB, when he was alive, was the one who was always actively fighting to be free, to be in control of his own destiny. And how has Jacob really matured? After he killed his brother, he didn't even begin to show remorse until he saw the MIB's dead body on the limbs. He shows no real compassion to the MIB, despite knowing full well that he is responsible for making him the smoke, not once has he ever told this to any of his followers. Instead, Jacob never even acknowledges that the "smoke monster" was indeed a human being, and further, his own brother. Jacob instead feeds his followers with bs telling them that the MIB wants to escape to "unleash hell", and calling him "the thing", "the monster", the "evil thing that needs to be stopped from destroying the world". Never has Jacob told the truth to his followers about why the MIB really wanted to leave and how the MIB became what he is now. The MIB deeply mourns the loss of his humanity, and hates being the smoke, hates what Jacob did to him. He has told this to people numerous times. Jacob also continues taunting the MIB to add insult to injury. He keeps appearing in the jungle as his kid self and doing things like when he gave the white stone and the wine. That does not at all look like a person who is truly sorry for his mistakes and the terrible crime he committed to his own brother, who loved him dearly. Further, it also looks like Jacob is on a power trip and enjoying it. He grew up very jealous of his brother, who was very intelligent and special, unlike him. Think back to when they were kids and the MIB told Jacob that one day he could make up his own game with his own rules. Jacob has been taking full advantage of that. Ever since he became the protector of the island, he has made up rules for his own amusement and to make himself feel important. Jacob brings people to the island when he does not need to, he's made a group of followers (the Others) and given them extensive lists of what they "need" to do, all while keeping them in the dark about what everything and further taunting and hurting his own brother by his actions. This is clearly not a person who has gotten wiser, it's a person who's on a power trip and is enjoying every bit of it.

• ► As Jacob explained to Richard, when he first crashed on the island, through taking a bottle of wine and saying that the island was the cork and the wine was hell. ("Ab Aeterno") As seen in the cave of the source that the rock in the fountain was like a cork itself and as Desmond uncorked the rock, the cave lost its light and all suddenly turned dark-red and hell was breaking loose throughout the island. ("The End") The light was also stated that humans can't get enough of it and would want more, even though all humans have a little light in them. ("Across the Sea") The light of the source represents hell (could been seen also as chaos): greed, lust, power, pleasure, gluttony, etc. Where humans want, then want more sex, fame, fortune, control, etc. Thus by uncorking the rock from the fountain in the source then everyone would get more light until there is no more light, except in everyone who would be filled with selfishness, jealousy, hatred, power-hungry, etc. and will have no good at heart. This explains how the Man in Black turned out to be. He's filled with this light (presence of chaos) and can not live his life personally, living with anger, jealous of the outsiders of the island living free, while he's a prisoner of the island, but could not be free because of the overwhelming light inside of him, he isn't human anymore, he lost all good, he became the black smoke monster, pure evil and no heart. He mourns of his loss of humanity and hates Jacob from his stupidity and ignorance given by his mother. However, at the end, Jack didn't got overwhelmed by the light because he is like Jacob, an ex-protector of the island and a good-hearted person. Also by nuking the island back in the 70s ("The Incident, Part 2"), they erased hell and were left with the opposite of hell in the parallel world, which could be seen that everyone there became good-hearted people with no sign of any wickedness. So the light was vanquished and there was only good; there was only heaven left. BulletBilly 05:08, May 25, 2010 (UTC)

\no need for a person to watch it. In this timeline, the people who were trapped ron the island in the orginal timeline seem to have a better life. Examples include Hugo having a lucky life, Locke marrying Helen and having a healthy releationship with his father, and Ben caring for people, rather than power.

The light is good, but the Incident caused the light to dim

• The Incident negatively affected the light. Consequently, the darkness is beginning to spread on the Island. Evidence of this includes: the infection, the pregnancy issues, and the weakening of the Island's healing properties (Ben's tumor, Jack's appendicitis, John's temporary re-paralysis), etc.
• The source was essentially contaminated by the radiation when it absorbed/neutralized the nuclear discharge. The contamination itself will heal, over time.

Finding the Source Cave

• Each time Mother lead MiB and Jacob to the glowing Source Cave, they went through a grove of green bamboo. The only other time we have seen a green bamboo grove featured is the two times that Jack woke after a landing on the Island.
  • Jacob is probably responsible for the temple. It had healing waters in it. And it was heavily guarded by the Others.
• When Locke told Jack about seeing the heart of the island in the first season, he wasn't referring to the Smoke Monster at all. He had in fact found this cave after his encounter with the Smoke, and before he successfully killed the boar that he returned to the beach with.

The Light Went Out

For

• When MIB falls down the hole, the light goes out and we don't see it turn back on. As Jacob's mother said, a human entering the light could destroy it. This is precisely what happened, and the light was replaced by darkness. If the MIB gets off the Island, that darkness will spread to all humanity. The light was described as life. Its destruction is why women can't have children conceived on the Island (no source of life to draw on, so they steal it from their mother, killing them both.)
  • Women could have children conceived on the Island before the Incident.
    • So they could. My mistake. Perhaps MIB's transformation was only the first step in destroying the Light, with the Incident completing the process.
• The light was described as being the end of everything if it was to vanish. This same reference has been made to Smokey leaving the Island. It could be argued that the light is now Smokey.

Against

• The light did not die, look at the Frozen Wheel, it has a light :)
• It seems that the light fading is simply the smoke monster blocking it as it rises up through the chamber (the increasing noise of him rising coincides with the rate the light is fading). We do not see directly into the chamber again after the smoke monster left, however for a split second after the monster is fully out it seems that there is some light showing from the high camera angle (hard to say though, inconclusive).
• Using frame by frame, the light is still clearly visible after the very last of the smoke monster exits the cave.
• Jacob told Jack that he has to protect the light from the MiB in What They Died For. Obviously, the light never went out, otherwise Jacob would have told him he had to prevent the MiB from leaving the Island.

The light was still on in 2007

• The Light went out when MiB went into it. For some reason, instead of being transported off the Island, he was rejected and his body spit back out, yet his essence was regurgitated as the smoke monster. The Light went out because it was engulfed in darkness, however, the darkness left in the form of the smoke monster and came back on because Jacob was still there to protect it. Years and years later, those tasked with protecting the Island in the name of Jacob built a Temple around the source where the light water flowed. It was here where they built the spring with healing capabilities and as long as Jacob controlled the spring, the water was nice and clear. After Ben kills Jacob, Lennon notices the spring is no longer clear and murky. Thus, those put in the pool before Jacob's death (Ben) came out okay. After Jacob died, MiB took over the spring and anyone healed in the spring (Sayid) was now "healed" by MiB and claimed as the darkness of the water engulfed his soul. It is for this reason that if MiB escapes the Island, the darkness would engulf the whole world. The mother kind of hinted at this when she said "if the light goes out, it goes out all over the world."
  • • Ben in no way came out "okay". Richard told Kate and Sawyer that he would lose his innocence, never be the same again, forget the whole event, and "always be one of us".

The Man in Black is now the Carrier of the Light

• The light is now inside the Man in Black, which is why Jacob cannot let him leave, because the light cannot reach the rest of the world. The light is also what makes the entirety of the Smoke Monster: because humans cannot have more of it, but because the Man in Black entered the cave, he took all of it and must now carry it's burden by having no body (Fate worse than death).
  • Impossible. We have seen the light right where it should be streaming from the wall holding the frozen donkey wheel. The light was perfectly intact after MiB was tossed in.
    • Yes, but it's green light, which could indicate a change. If Ben can see it, then why hasn't he found any other sources of light?
• Man in Black wanting to leave the Island, thus, is by no means a bad thing, but a personal form of resolve for having no home, but because he now carries the light inside him (As the Smoke Monster), he cannot leave without causing massive, presumably apocalyptic events towards humanity.
• After Locke met the smoke monster, he described it as a very bright light. Later he mentioned that he had seen into the eye of the Island, and that what he saw was beautiful.
  • Jacob threw the unconscious MiB into the source. His body died on the spot, but his consciousness was ripped free. It touched the Source and in that moment became something much, much more. Locke saw light from the source in the smoke monster because smokey is infused with it.
    • We know that MiB's body is dead, but his soul is not. So MiB cannot be the "carrier" of the light, it would be more that the light is now the carrier of MiB.
• If true, could be a reference to Lucifer.

The source imprinted the personality of the Man in Black

When the MiB enters (is thrown) into the source chamber, he dies, but the source imprints his personality. The personality then gains control over some aspects of the source, including the ability to manifest in many forms. The form of smoke is an initial formless angry mass. The source is the gateway to the (a) afterlife. The correct working of this is impaired as the MiB is now stuck halfway between, part of his essence passed on but his personality still controlling the source, although the guardian controls the other part of the source. This prevents other people being able to move on as they get caught part way, allowing the source, and his control, to manifest their forms, although the source can still naturally manifest them to Hurley. This clog is in effect timeless, and causes the souls of the losties to hang around in the FST having the chance to find each other, before moving on.

When Jack turns the source on and off, it's frees the Man in Black, and all the others who've been prevented from passing on.

• The imprinting idea is a little like the Alan Moore swampthing, but that's a spoiler -- read the damn comic...

Desmond and the Source

There is a correlation between the Electromagnetism and the Source.

When the Man in Black was thrown into the water and drawn into the Source, his tainted soul bonded with the Source, creating the Smoke Monster. Three things happened as a result: 1: MiB cannot be killed. 2: MiB cannot leave the island as long as Jacob/replacement for Jacob exists, as Jacob/future Guardian protects the Source. 3: The Source, i.e. the heart of the island, has been corrupted through this bonding, resulting in things like the Sickness. The island itself is sick.

• This makes sense. Smokey (in the form of Christian) led Jack to water in Season One because he knew the water would make the whole tribe sick.

• "The Source, i.e. the heart of the island, has been corrupted through this bonding, resulting in things like the Sickness. The island itself is sick." -> very good point, in fact on the island mothers die before child's birth! It's a form of vengeance/rage expression of "Light-joined" MiB (Smokey) over The Mother and what she did after his birth.

Jack needs Desmond for some reason. Desmond is the only one who can survive exposure to high-level electromagnetism. This is likely due to his previous exposure to source (failsafe key at the hatch); perhaps Desmond was even conditioned towards resiliency during his extended stint of button management (and eventual lack of REM sleep?).

So... Desmond (a pure soul) will need to enter the Source and sever the MiB's bond to it. This will either kill the MiB or allow him to be killed. This might bind Desmond to the Source. This will heal the island but also make Desmond--the eternal prisoner!--unable to leave. This is something Desmond will know and will willingly accept for the greater good; it is the sacrifice (remember what Widmore told him) he'll be asked to make. He'll do so, giving up on ever seeing Penny and his son Charlie again and remaining on the island--the very place he never wanted to be--forever. Jack will replace Jacob, and it will be Jack and Des on the island. See you in another life, Brotha.

• The Source/Light is “knowledge” of the past, future and all possibilities and is associated with the electromagnetism. People would abuse this knowledge (perhaps this is how Widmore became rich) and or not be able to handle it and die (i.e. Minkowski). Every time someone has tried to get more "knowledge" (move through time)- the Source/Light fades a bit more. Desmond is special because he can handle being exposed to the Source/Light, not be corrupted or killed by it and not cause the Source/Light to fade. This may be why the Smoke Monster / Jacob's Twin is threatened by him – Smokey believes that people are fated to be corrupt and evil but Desmond represents hope that people are worthy of the Source/Light. Desmond may be able to guide Jack to make the right choice.

The Light Was Changed

• Before MiB is tossed into the Source, the light is warm. The colors are soothing. In 2007, the light coming from behind the Wheel is cold with a bluish tint, and is green when the wheel is off it's axis.
  • From the warmest light, to the coldest, freezing the donkey wheel chamber.
  • This would seem to suggest that MiB's return to the Source changed it.
    • Changed it to what? Arguably, from being the source of all life to the source of death.
      • The mother claims it to already be the source of all life and death.

Reference to

The Bible

• The Island is the real world (yet other worldly) basis of bible stories. This would obviously make the mother the real Eve. The MIB is also the real Adam and the creation myth from subsequent civilizations misinterpreted him as Eve's husband based on the funeral arrangement by Jacob. Lastly, the smoke monster roughly represents a serpent. It's a non-theological explanation for the events of the bible which were passed down via oral tradition (and thus would be riddled with inaccuracies). So it wouldn't be making Lost biblical in a sense. It would be taking the theology out of the bible.
  • The Bible stories predate the founding of Rome, and are likely trace back to much older oral traditions.
  • GEN 1:3-4 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

The Garden of Eden and The Tree of Knowledge

• In the Bible/Torah, God/Yahveh creates man and gives him paradise. The only rule is to not eat fruit from the forbidden tree of knowledge. Man can't resist, eats the fruit, and is banished from the Garden, forever burdened with original Sin.
• In the episode Across the Sea, we learn that every person is born with a little bit of the Light/Source in side of them, but is always trying to get back for more. This could be an allegory for man's insatiable desire for forbidden knowledge.
• The Source/Light is a metaphor for the Tree of Knowledge. The Mother said all men have the light inside them but they always want more - all men have knowledge but they want more. The Source/Light is good but too much of it leads to power, greed, corruption and evil and it can eventually become extinguished. The Source/Light is “knowledge” of the past, future and all possibilities and is associated with the electromagnetism. People would abuse this knowledge (perhaps this is how Widmore became rich) and or not be able to handle it and die (i.e. Minkowski). Desmond is special he can handle being exposed to the Source/Light and not be corrupted or killed by it. This may be why Smoke Monster / MiB is threatened by him – Desmond represents hope that people are worthy of the Source/Light.
  • In this way the Island is like the Garden of Eden surrounding the Tree of Knowledge - the cork that prevents the Source/Light from being abused and extinguished which would allow evil to spread. To extend the metaphor, the Island and Jacob are like God who supports people having free will while Smoke Monster / MiB is like the Serpent/Lucifer (bearer of light) who believes people are fated to be corrupt and evil and not worthy of the Source/Light. Smoke Monster / MiB is an unwilling "bearer" or guardian of the Source/Light and is trying to tempt people into corruption and evil so it can prove Jacob wrong and get off the Island. If Smokey leaves, the Source/Light would become vulnerable to be abused and extinguished allowing evil to spread.
• The wine Fake Mom gave to Jacob could be an allegory for the Tree of Life. It's unclear whether the wine made Jacob immortal (as in not aging rather than unkillable), or if it bestowed guardianship of the Island on him.

Lucifer

• The name "Lucifer" means "bearer of light". In a biblical context, light and knowledge are considered evil. In LOST, trying to understand the Island and seeking the Light/Source is considered evil as well.
  • That statement is a blatant factual error, as the Bible in fact uses light as a consistent symbol of good/righteousness, as exemplified in John 1:5 (and countless other passages). Darkness consistently represents evil. The references to Lucifer in the Bible may or may not actually be references to Satan (there is debate over this), and if they are they refer to his pre-rebellion status as an archangel, not his fallen state. Satan is called many things in the Bible, but a source of light is not one of them.
  • Perhaps now, the Man in Black is "bearing the light".
  • Except that, right up the front of the bible, it says "And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness"
• Just as in the bible, the end times are when Lucifer and his army escape the underworld and spread evil across the earth, MiB / The Light / The Source's escape from the Island would mark the end of all of life.
• The identification of Lucifer with Satan is at least a translation error and a misinterpretation. Lucifer as name of the morning star was used as mockery about a vain king - He is compared to the star/angel ironically. And in the Revelation it is said that a star fell from heaven and had the key to hell, which is often associated with Lucifer, but it doesn't mean that he is the Devil. If the Devil has a name it would more probably be "Samael", who was identified with Esau's guardian angel and the archangel Jacob (the one from the bible) fought with.

His Dark Materials

The Source/Light seems very similar to Phillip Pullman's "Dust", a mysterious particle which grants consciousness and life. Like in His Dark Materials, Dust is concentrated in a particular area and, if interfered with, can disappear from the world, leaving life without sentience. It also seems to be a possible "God".

• Yes, but in that book series Dust were really Angels. That could lead back to the Garden of Eden theory

Mixing light and water

Before his mother destroys the settlement, the man in black claims that his wheel will mix water and light so that he can leave the Island. Interestingly, we were told that the sub requires no bearing in order to leave the island - there must be an underwater entrance to the source that the sub uses when leaving the island.

The Drain

Desmond unplugged the drain, putting out the light and causing the island to quake. Jack said this was a mistake, but it was necessary for the Monster to become mortal and be killed. As it is decorated with the same Hieroglyphs found around the island, this suggests that the plug is from the same age as the Frozen wheel, the Statue of Taweret. Meaning that it could be at least 5000 years old.

• The MIB is seen to be constructing either the actual frozen wheel or a prototype of it. This implies it cannot be older than 2000 years (if MIB/Jacob are assumed to have arrived during Roman times).
• Why would we assume that? English as a language is >1500 years old; Modern English, >300 years old. I was under the impression that the pregnant survivor at the episode's start was speaking Spanish, but she also knew English, placing this during the 1600s, 1700s, or 1800s, when naval battles between the two countries were common (hence the shipwreck). In the season five finale, the black rock is coming to the island, and it looks like a 1700s/1800s ship. I don't think that that much time has passed for Jacob/MiB. The archaeology is older than that.
  • Claudia and Mother were speaking Latin. The dialogue switched to English but we should assume that this is only a translation, for the audience, just like the Arabic-to-English dialogue at the beginning of Solitary.
  • There is a distinct transitional music cue that signifies the change from Latin to English.
• If the presence of the cork in the drain was keeping the light/water flowing, then either it must have already been built prior to Jacob/MIB's birth, or there was another person who had an electromagnetic tolerance similar to Desmond who built the chamber/plug for the light. If the chamber was built before Jacob's time, this could very well imply that most of the other Egyptian-themed constructions (the statue, the temple, possibly "Jacob's lighthouse" but not the Donkey Wheel) had already existed before Jacob's time. Because these Egyptian constructions include evidence that the smoke monster existed at the time of their construction (such as the smoke vents beneath the temple, and the illustration of the smoke monster fighting Anubis), there is evidence supporting that our MiB/Smoke Monster was not the first smoke monster. The skeletons in the Source also support evidence that others may have met the same fate our MiB did.Drumultima 18:25, May 26, 2010 (UTC)
  • If the MiB wasn't the first smoke monster, then the skeletons could be of people like Desmond and Jack who went down to unplug/replug the Source so that the monster could be destroyed.
• The screencap at The End shows that the markings on the plug are not the same hieroglyphs we see elsewhere on the Island, but cuneiform, one of the world's oldest systems of writing (emerging about 3,000 B.C. according to Wikipedia). I think this is no mistake; it's meant to indicate that the plug is much older than the hieroglyphs, almost as old as civilization. I think we're supposed to understand all the Egyptian stuff to come after the Romans (so, at the same era as the completion of the Frozen wheel chamber), while whoever created the plug did so long, long before. Paulbee 23:39, May 27, 2010 (UTC)
• The plug was made of Exotic matter, which interacted with the electromagnetic energy leaking up out of the drain and caused a warm light as well as a ton of weird alteractions to the laws of physics within a certain radius.

The Source Skeleton(s)

• The Skeleton we see when Desmond enters the Heart of the Island, may have been The Mother's Mother, as she stated she once had one which died, but did not revealed how that happened. The fact that it was found in a cave like structure reflects Jacob's burial of MiB and Mother. It may also have been a sibling of Mother's, which had a fate similar to that of MiB, however was pure enough to remain within 'The Source'
• May help explain how she knew entering the cave would be a "fate worse than death."

  One becomes the smoke monster, a bodyless form without humanity.

• When Desmond enters the Source, he looks around him and sees a skeleton. Obviously, somebody must have attempted to reach the Source and died in the process. Obviously it's not the MIB because we see his skeleton in the cave. It could be any of the following:
  • Jacob entered the source and actually died. The presence that we see on the Island is a manifestation of him. His "body" completely turned to ash upon being pushed into the fire. Bones do not vaporize in campfires.
  • A curious person (Dharma, Other, earlier visitors) may have entered the Source and died.
  • The MIB sent a person who he believed could withstand the EM radiation into there, but it turns out they couldn't.
  • The MIB/Jacob threw another person down there.
  • One of the people who built the temple like area around the Source
  • Three skeletons, all of them being very old. Let's say someone had to build the place where the source is (the water flow, the "cork" which Desmond removes,...) originally, and "ignite" the source, turning on the deadly electromagnetism force. The skeletons are from the last workers that made a sacrifice in order to turn on the light and the source, knowing they were going to die there. Another explanation is that the skeletons are from the actual workers who build the source, there might have done it in short shifts and preventing long exposure to the source's electromagnetism. Think of the Chernobyl's liquidators, they could only spend a maximum of 40 seconds at a time working on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings because of the extremely high doses of radiation given off by the blocks of graphite and other debris.
    • The second skeleton has only 4 fingers in its hand, just as Taweret foot.
  • Jacob's mother. If she was a smoke monster, as seems to be indicated by the destruction of the village, then she would have had to have gone down to the heart of the island as the Man in Black did. If she did, she would have left a body behind too, which is the skeleton. And then another body when she died as a smoke monster. Fake Locke left a second body behind on the cliff face.
• The Island is a cycle. The Smoke Monster is continually created, fought against, and the Island continually put in jeopardy. The skeleton is of someone else who took part in the cycle long ago.

• • Mother knew that going down there would cause a fate worse than death. That indicates something like the creation of the Smoke Monster happened before.
• The skeletons serve as an indicator of the danger ahead, hence who they are is unimportant (odds would favor either Dharma of MIB's people as Others would be told to stay away). Smokey is not continually created but could be created again if the same conditions were met (death with malice, want of revenge
  • Smokey only existed because Jacob wasn't allowed to kill him, just as he was not allowed to kill Jacob. So when MIB "died" he didn't die.

• • The identity of the skeleton is irrelevant, it is only there to illustrate the lethality of coming close to the source. Desmond, even with his immunity to electro-magnetism, is dealt severe pain by coming near it.
• The skeleton(s) are Claudia's people that tried to "get the light" like Mother said they would.
• "It only ends once, the rest is just progress" for the 2000 plus years of the Jacob-MIB struggle, MIB has attempted to destroy the Island using many other people as pawns in his plan, these skeletons are his prior attempts at removing the stone. But Jacob eventually realized that only a special person like Desmond could remove the stone which is why he brought him to the Island, knowing that MIB would realize this eventually Jacob also brought the group of Losties to assist Desmond, which was Jacobs plan all along, he knew removal of the stone would make MIB mortal again, and he knew Jack would figure this out also, allowing MIB to be finally destroyed. And the coup de grace in Jacob's plan was that he knew Jack would then sacrifice himself to replace the "cork" saving the Island and also the world.
• The skeletons are the remains of those that found the source despite it being hidden. Although the source couldn't be found normally, it is possible that over the thousands of years of people coming to the island to exploit/research/use its power that they found the cave, and then made an expedition to go down into it, dying in the process due to the extreme radiation and/or Jacob protecting the island anyway possible.
• A breakaway party of (Egyptian?) priests and supporters deliberately looked for an isolated island on which to create a magical experiment, one which which would create a "magical power source" based on a 'perfect balance' of the four elements. The result was the chamber at the heart of the island. The only problem was that after creating that source, it killed most or all those involved in the ritual (explaining the skeletons found by Jack), leaving a few survivors who may have either tried to leave or stay and tap into that power (which was only accessible from the island).
• Any bodies that are alive and in there whilst the light is on, get teleported outside, to the the mouth of that nearby stream. Both Jack, when the light is switched back on, and MIB's body, after the Smoke Monster is born, experience this (MIB only banged his head before his body fell into the source, so it's very possible he was still alive, just uncinscious and almost dead). This says to me that the bodies we see down there, had to have been there before the light was corked.
  • In fact, perhaps a smoke monster is born from everyone who goes down there alive (would certainly fit with what Jacob and MIB's mother said). Desmond's ultimate power then, could be to be immune to this effect. This doesn't explain why Jack does not create a smoke monster however, or atleast doesn't create one that we are aware of.

• When Desmond enters the Source, he looks around him and sees a skeleton. Obviously, somebody must have attempted to reach the Source and died in the process. Obviously it's not the MIB because we see his skeleton in the cave. It could be any of the following:
  • Jacob entered the source and actually died. The presence that we see on the Island is a manifestation of him. His "body" completely turned to ash upon being pushed into the fire. Bones do not vaporize in campfires.
    • Not even 2000 your old bones?
  • A curious person (Dharma, Other, earlier visitors) may have entered the Source and died.
    • Prior to becoming Smokey, MiB stated that he couldn't find the Light even after 30 years of searching. It is doubtful a normal person can locate it without help from Jacob or MiB.
  • The MIB sent a person who he believed could withstand the EM radiation into there, but it turns out they couldn't.
  • The MIB/Jacob threw another person down there.
  • One of the people who built the temple-like area around the Source
  • Three skeletons, all of them being very old. Let's say someone had to build the place where the source is (the water flow, the "cork" which Desmond removes,...) originally, and "ignite" the source, turning on the deadly electromagnetism force. The skeletons are from the last workers that made a sacrifice in order to turn on the light and the source, knowing they were going to die there. Another explanation is that the skeletons are from the actual workers who build the source, there might have done it in short shifts and preventing long exposure to the source's electromagnetism. Think of the Chernobyl's liquidators, they could only spend a maximum of 40 seconds at a time working on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings because of the extremely high doses of radiation given off by the blocks of graphite and other debris.
    • The second skeleton has only 4 fingers in its hand, just as Taweret foot.
  • Jacob's mother. If she was a smoke monster, as seems to be indicated by the destruction of the village, then she would have had to have gone down to the heart of the island as the Man in Black did. If she did, she would have left a body behind too, which is the skeleton. And then another body when she died as a smoke monster. Fake Locke left a second body behind on the cliff face.
    • Mother as a smoke monster is an interesting direction to investigate. Do we have any evidence that the person protecting the light can't be a smoke monster? This could be why Mother was so adamant that Jacob "NEVER go into the light"
      • Then the skeleton with only 4 fingers could be Mother's? Taweret, Goddess Demoness of Birth, Rebirth, and the word 'mother' is associated with 'birth'? Also, Mother was the only protector of the island was both Good & Evil, Black & White, Jacob & Smoke Monster.
  • In fact, perhaps a smoke monster is born from everyone who goes down there alive (would certainly fit with what Jacob and MIB's mother said). Desmond's ultimate power then, could be to be immune to this effect. This doesn't explain why Jack does not create a smoke monster however, or atleast doesn't create one that we are aware of.
    • It's entirely possible that Jack became a smoke monster after his body died in the bamboo field. In the "FST," Christian says "we all die sometime," which most of us took to imply that before or after Jack's death. It's possible that Jack's spirit lived on long after his body died (in the Island Time of Hurley/Ben) and that we just don't see that. The FST is a place existing out of space time...it's even possible that Jack didn't die in the field. We see him close his eyes. It's intentionally ambiguous, leaving the last episode to end exactly the opposite as the first started.
      • After MIB's spirit was allowed to leave the island, he may have experienced a similar epiphany.

?

Many have theorized that the "?" on the blast door map was something else and the smaller "?" somewhere south of it was The Pearl. I think, especially when the Man in Black said that the Source was near the center of the island, that the large ? on the map was The Source, especially because we know the Swan was studying electromagnetism and the Source is literally the "source" of the electromagnetism on the island and where it is the strongest quantity. Msett 01:25, May 27, 2010 (UTC)

MIB's Connection with the source

The Source is like a Lamp, in that Genies cannot escape their Lamps as it is where they get there power from. MIB got his power from the Source so like the Genie; he cannot escape his Lamp (The Source). This backed up when the Source is “turned off”, MIB loses his powers and the first thing he did was go to the Elizabeth. This means that Jacob wasn’t directly stopping MIB from leaving, Jacob was stopping MIB from getting to the Source which was stopping him from leaving.

The Nature of the Source

If the Light/Source didn't come back on, The "Losties" wouldn't have been able to move on

• It's been said that the Light on the island relates to all light in the world. When the light went off due to Desmond pulling out the "cork", the island began to fall apart. Although we didn't see the rest of the world become dark/evil, it was apparent that the island AT LEAST needed that light to "survive". It was crucial that the light went out for a small time period, to allow Jack/Kate to kill MIB. But, it was also crucial that Jack put it back on so that he could die. Dying helped him remember his friends/life on the island and was the catalyst for the Losties moving on to the Afterlife. Whether or not some died before him or after him did not matter because Jack needed to die sometime and after fulfilling his duty to the island, it became his time.

• This reset is similar to what Juliet tells Sawyer to do with the vending machine. His Apollo bar is stuck- the same way they are in their lives. He has to unplug it then plug it back in for it to become unstuck.

• If the light wasn't restored there would be nowhere to move on to and nowhere to move from, there would be nothing.
  • This is unlikely. This would mean that before Ancient civilization on island built that structure on the source there was no afterlife. The cork was their way to manipulate with islands powers.

• The Source is the flash sideways timeline, before Desmond is lowered into the Source he believes that he is going to be a sacrifice but he says that he'll just go somewhere else where they can be with the ones they love i.e. the FST, hence if the light goes out there will be no place for people to be with the ones they love after they die creating a darkness in death. That's why it needs protecting from those who don't understand it and want to abuse it or put it out.
  • I was thinking abut the light/source and I kind of agree with you. The island is the protector of the next level of consciousness and the light/source is the energy that takes you there. The light is in all of us as when we pass on we use that light to move to reach the higher level. It almost takes away the religious angle of life and death and gives us something more physical and organic. Something this powerful would need protection as man would corrupt and destroy it. This could explain why releasing the energy would be so dangerous as without it, we would die in darkness and not move on and see our loved ones. The source is so powerful that when exploited it could do many things like cause islands to move or time travel.

• The Source/Light is the ability to "let go" or "move on". Jack and co. were able to finally let go once all the light was restored. Jack needed to kill MIB because he stole some of the light when he became the smoke monster. Once he was able to restore the light fully is when they all are in the church in flash-sideways.

The Source is the Source of Man in Black's Power

MiB knew that removing the cork would destroy the island, but why didn’t he realize it would cause him to lose his powers since the Source was what gave him those powers. Maybe he had to lose his powers in order to escape the island because the only thing that has changed is the cork being removed. The Island still has a protector (Jack) and Locke was still going to leave before their fight. So maybe it is similar to the Genie and the Lamp, in that the Genie cannot leave his lamp, which is the source of his power. In this case, the Genie is MiB and the Lamp is the Source, so the Source was what trapped MIB on the island, not Jacob.

• This was the all-knowing genius of Jacob. He knew this and was making a long con/loophole of his own. We all saw the loophole that MiB made to kill Jacob. What MiB didn't realise was that Jacob saw it all and was planning for it. Jacob's loophole was to kill the devil he created and to get a new protector. This is why he said to MiB "I will be right here" when MiB threatened him. He knew the cork would have to be released to kill the MiB and he has manipulated events to get Desmond to remove the cork, jack via kate to kill the MiB and then Jack to sacrifice himself. Jacob also knew that Hurley would then be crowned the true protector. The Losties reward for all the manipulation and sacrifice at the hands of Jacob was a special afterlife for them all to come together and find true love and happiness. All their lives were Lost and as a result of their time on the island they now have true love and happiness in a new dimension and they saved the world from darkness, not a bad trade off.

• The rules may prevent suicide (Micheal's gun failed to go off) - including being complicit in one's own death. In order to die, MiB had to try earnestly to live
• What Jacob said to Richard was literally correct. He said that the island is the cork that keeps the MiB from leaving the Island. It is exactly that. Once Desmond was able to pull the cork away, MiB was free to go. But he didn't seem to know that he was going to be mortal by such an action, maybe because the candidate (Jack) was still alive.

The Man in Black had a job to do on the island. He had to play the evil while Jacob played the good, keeping the balance between good and evil. Both heaven and hell lived on the island which made the island so important. When the cork came out, the Man in Black was free from his job and he could finally leave the island

The Source Water

Connection between the light source and the Losties has been made since they drank water from the island. Remember those Oceanic water bottles? When Losties start drinking water from the river, the cave source, or from the temple, it's always water that has been in contact with the electromagnetic field. Desmond may have injected himself with the Dharma experimental treatment issued from the island water. This would explain why he was immune to the electromagnetic field.

• Jack laughs when water is falling on him at the light source; maybe he remembers MIB telling him he took the appearance of Jack's father to lead them to a drink/water source.
• Remember Richard at his arrival in the boat? MIB gave him water before releasing him. Why not release him first and then let him drink? Because drinking the water causes the "disease" and it's the reason the "quarantine" had been planned for by the Dharma initiative.
• Remember Rousseau's arrival and the fight between her people that Jin saw on the Flash's? "The disease" is changing them!
• Even Jacob's real mother is drinking water at the river when she meets her destiny; the one who finds anyone on the island and would "help her". So Jacob and his brother had drink from the island before they even were born...

• What is this disease? Is it what allows them of being related to the island or to the MIB immunity? Does it reveals them to the island fate? Remember Jacob's wine, did it purify Richard from his loneliness and made him stronger against MIB? ((This is not a complete thought, let alone a complete sentence.))
• Sharing the water with Jacob did symbolize the will of keeping the Island bound, but also the necessary way to fight the MIB mystical evil existence and keeping it on the island.

• Does it make a difference drinking the water before or after it passes thought the light source? The human made canals at the light source do they finally lead to where Jack woke up on the river?