The Monster/Theories

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Theories about The Monster

Main Discussion

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.

Manifestations

Encounters

Fans theorize that the Monster has manifested itself in more forms than documented in the main article. The confirmed encounters with the Monster provide the premise for assessments made about the suggested many subsequent encounters that have yet to be confirmed or disproved.

Confirmed encounters

It has been confirmed in Lost: The Answers as well as in 3-21-08 podcast, by writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, that these apparitions are generated by the Monster.

Episode	Form of the Monster	Notes
"White Rabbit"		In the episode "White Rabbit" (as well as in the preceding episode, "Walkabout"), Jack experienced a series of visions in which he saw Christian, his recently deceased father, on the Island. Jack's search for what he thought was Christian eventually led him to the Caves. There, Jack found Christian's coffin from the flight. He tentatively opened it, only to find that there was nothing inside. Overpowered by rage and grief, Jack destroyed the coffin.
"Collision"		Not long after he was taken off the raft, a water-drenched Walt appeared before Shannon, who had just followed Walt's dog Vincent into the jungle. He spoke to her in incomprehensible, then disappeared. Three nights later, the same thing happened and Shannon screamed in terror. But when Sayid came to her Walt had once again disappeared. Later in the jungle, Sayid and Shannon heard whispers. They then both saw Walt. When Walt walked back into the jungle, Shannon followed him, only to be accidentally shot and killed by Ana Lucia.
"What Kate Did"		A black horse appeared to Kate that was remarkably similar to the horse that helped her escape from Edward Mars before she arrived on the Island.
"The Cost of Living"		Mr. Eko's brother Yemi, who had died because of him, appeared before Mr. Eko and asked of him to confess. When Eko refused to admit that he had sinned, Yemi said, "You speak to me as if I was your brother". Mr. Eko immediately stopped believing that this being really was Yemi. Angrily he asked, "Who are you?". He then followed the apparition as it walked away, demanding an answer. He was then abruptly brought to a halt by the Monster, which attacked and killed him. Mr. Eko's final words were of a prophetic nature. Before dying he whispered in Locke's ear, "You're next".
"Through the Looking Glass, Part 1"		Walt appeared to Locke in the DHARMA Initiative's mass grave, stopping him from committing suicide. Locke believed he was once again paralyzed from the waist down. Walt told him he was wrong. He then urged Locke to get up and said he had work to do.

Unconfirmed encounters

It has been theorized that other apparitions are generated by the Monster as well and that it in its interaction with the ones receiving the visions often acts as a catalyst for redemption.

Episode	Form of the Monster	Notes
"Raised by Another"		Locke was the Monster in Claire's dream. It took his form after first seeing him in Walkabout. His white and black eyes represent the white light Locke claims to have seen and the black everyone else sees when they gaze into the monster.
"Hearts and Minds"		Boone's vision of Shannon was generated by the Monster.
"?"		Ana Lucia appeared to Mr. Eko after her death. After she said "A dream like this one," a series of images flash on the screen. In a vision, Yemi told Mr. Eko that Locke had lost his way, and Eko needed Locke to take him to The question mark.
"The Cost of Living"		One of the men Mr. Eko had killed threw at him the machete with which Mr. Eko had killed them. Mr. Eko was about to plunge the machete into the other man he had once already killed when this man transformed into Daniel, an altar boy. They boy then asked of him to confess.
"The Beginning of the End"		After his death, Charlie appeared to Hurley telling him, "They need you." It seems that he was more than a figment of Hurley's imagination since another man at the mental institution was able to see him. Hurley saw Christian Shepherd in Jacob's Cabin, as well as Jacob's eye.
"Something Nice Back Home"		After having escaped the Island Jack began to have visions of his father, Christian Shepherd. In one vision Jack was drawn from his office when a smoke detector went off, seeing his father moments later. This began soon after Hurley told him he would receive a visitor. Also Claire saw Christian Shepherd holding Aaron on the Island, and followed him into the jungle.
"Cabin Fever"		Locke met Horace Goodspeed in a dream. Horace told him to find his body so Locke could find Jacob, since Jacob had been waiting for him for a long time. Locke saw Christian Shepherd in Jacob's Cabin. Claire was also inside the cabin, seemingly interacting with Christian as well. Potential Discreditation - Horace's nose is bleeding in this encounter, and appears to Locke in a dream, suggesting that this may be a result of time travel, and not The Monster

Discredited encounters

In the 3-21-08 podcast, writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse confirmed that these strange occurences are not instances in which the inhabitants of the Island encounter the Monster.

Episode	Form of the Monster	Notes
"Outlaws"		A boar pestered Sawyer by repeatedly ransacking his belongings. Locke told a story that suggested the boar is more than it seems. In the 3-21-08 podcast, Damon says the boar is not a manifestation of the Monster.
"Dave"		Dave taunted Hurley, and urged him to jump off a cliff. In the 3-21-08 podcast, Damon says Dave is a figment of Hurley's imagination.
"Further Instructions"		Boone appeared to Locke and told him what he needed to do to set things right again. In the 3-21-08 podcast, Damon says that when Locke sees Boone after Boone has died it's a dream and not an apparition created by the Monster.
"The Man Behind the Curtain"		Emily, Ben's mother, appeared to him twice on the Island. In the 3-21-08 podcast, Damon says Emily this time indeed is an apparition, though not one created by the Monster.

Sounds

• The mechanical sounds made by the Monster in "Pilot, Part 1" and subsequent episodes are the sound effects of Oceanic Flight 815 crashing. The sounds can be heard immediately after a flashback in which the plane crashes and falls apart.
• The sounds coming from the Monster is heard in a less uniform fashion when the camera pans through it during its first encounter with Mr. Eko. The sounds are accompanied by flashes of light in which images that may relate to Mr. Eko's past can be seen. This suggests that the noise it is making is not made purely for the sake of making terrifying noise.
• We can hear a faint whisper saying something right before the Monster kills Eko in the episode "The Cost of Living".
• When the "arm" of the Monster is flailing around Eko in the episode "The Cost of Living", the viewer can clearly hear a mechanical sound. The sound is similar to that of gears turning, and is audible the entire time the "arm" is operational.
• The monster appears to have three main sounds. One is used often when the monster has just suddenly appeared, and it sounds similar to a gate crashing down. A second one is where the monster is free floating, just moving forwards, and this is the taxi reciept sound. The third is a mechanical sound, like gears turning. It also has a fourth sound that is similar to a roar, though it is generally heard from distances, so it is likely an echo of one of the aformentioned sounds.
• It seems to make noises that are similar to Renaissance age mechanical devices. Chain clanks, gears turning, and pulley systems.
• The noises the Monster makes are significant noises, or noises that it "remembers" from during different significant Island events. The loud, horn like echoing noise made is that of some ancient culture, perhaps before an execution or some other ritual. The gate crashing sound is that of Oceanic 815 crashing. The gears and the taxi reciept sound are that of some mechanical device that was used by the time travellers/DI. The other roars are that of wild animals.

Flashing images

Eko facing the Monster - Note the image of what appears to be his face staring back at himself

• The flashing light is a "scanning" process. The images seen in the light are a means of examining the conscience of the individual being scanned, in order to pass judgment on the individual's moral standing. It scans for images in the observer's subconscious, and then displays them to the individual to test his or her emotional response and physical reaction. This may be why the Monster in some instances, as in its first encounter with Mr. Eko and John Locke, lets some of its test subjects go unharmed. The Monster may have seen them both as being non-threatening in the way they responsed to certain stimuli.
• In the scene where Mr. Eko is drinking from the stream and the Monster creeps up behind, the Monster briefly manifests itself as Mr. Eko's face.
• In "The 23rd Psalm" when the Monster is "scanning" Mr. Eko, we see this process from its perspective, and it shows many images including the three men Eko killed and Yemi. The images are stored and later used to produce and present faux living individual to whom Eko has had crucial personal ties. The Monster poses as Yemi in order to make it easier for Eko to repent.
• The scanning process of the Monster (as seen in "Left Behind"), shown as several flashes of white light, can be linked to Locke's original viewing of it as "a white light".
  • However, there were also flashes of light when Ben summoned The Monster to attack Keamy and his men, which wasn't a scanning process.
• It could still be a scanning process, like the monsters vision or eyes.

Function

In Lost: The Answers executive producers and writers of the show Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse bring up the subject of the Monster. As they do, they solely answer questions dealing with the monster's function and abilities. Lindelof: "Does the Monster have some sort of ability to judge you? Locke passed it the first time he saw it, but then, later on, the Monster grabbed him and tried to pull him into a hole. And then, what does it do with that judgment? (That) is a very interesting question as we move forward on the show." Lindelof then lets the question go unanswered as to what the flashes are that you can see inside the Monster (but ambiguously gives the hint that when it experiences Juliet's presence "it's almost as if it is taking pictures of her"). Lindelof: "We do know that when the Monster looks at you, it seems to be able to process certain memories that you may have had." Narrator: "And some memories can become quite real." Cuse: "We have learned that the Island is capable of these apparitions. Jack can see his dead father. Walt, who was off in some other place, mysteriously appears for Shannon and Sayid. Kate sees a horse that was part of her past. All these characters are seeking redemption for misdeeds of their past."

Hallucinogenic properties

• The Monster is made of electromagnetic energy whose visual appearance is completely hallucinogenic. Manipulated electromagnetism stimulates the receptors in the brain such that if more than one person is around they all share the same visual and tactile hallucination. Black smoke is a Jungian symbol for both death and cleansing which is a part of the universal human subconscious. The Monster only has this appearance to the characters of the show because they are facing either death or redemption, and black smoke is the symbol for these experiences shared in our collective perception of reality.
• As the audience we may be false in assuming that the black smoke is what is really there. Both Locke and Keamy (and more) have described the Monster as a black pillar of smoke but that could be in itself a hallicination produced to obscure what the monster really looks like.

Psychic projection

• A machine designed to let a person materialize life-altering memories, just like in film 'The Forbidden Planet'. Though the people that created the machine considered themselves civilized, their subconscious destructive and savage desires were unleashed by the almost limitless power of the machine. As a consequence, they were wiped out in a cataclysm as their subconscious acted out their darkest urges, fueled by the machine's power.

• Alternately, we should turn to Michael Crichton and his novel 'The Sphere' for the answer. According to this theory, the monster is a controlled by the subconscious of each character. They unknowingly project their fantasies and thoughts to the monster, as evidenced by its transformations into important figures from each character's past. Characters more in touch with their dreams and subconscious, such as Walt and possibly Ben and Locke, are said to be "special" and are able to control the Monster. A further path taken in this line of thinking has to do with time and fate and suggests the possibility that while the present consciousness of each character is unaware of their future experiences, their subconscious is aware of what's going to happen.

Origin

Man-Made

• In the book 'Watchmen' (which the Producers have stated is one of the main influences behind Lost) a group of scientists on a secret island create an actual monster using the brain from a dead psychic, in order to create a conscious being, with the intention of later teleporting it off the island.

Pre-DHARMA Creation

• It was shown in "Cabin Fever" that, prior to DHARMA establishing itself on the Island, Locke drew and Richard recognized an image of the Monster attacking someone.
• Created by the inhabitants who also constructed the statue; the Monster would then be part of the Island's earlier history (and therefore possibly hostile to the "Others").
• The noises (clanking gears, grinding gears and steam whistles) and visual attributes (black smoke, chains) of the Monster are reminiscent not of modern technology but that of the late industrial age (think Jules Verne.) The Monster pre-dates Dharma and is instead a Utopian experiment of the late Victorian era, perhaps constructed by Magnus Hanso.
• The Monster is a creation of the other much earlier inhabitants of the Island. It got altered by the electromagnetism of the Island along with its creators for whom Jacob is the leader. The ancient indigenous inhabitants are responsible for the whispers, the Monster and the four toed statue and the pillar Anthony Cooper was tied to and the ancient stone door that hidden in Ben's house.
• When Richard visits Locke as a boy, he sees a picture Locke has drawn of the Monster. It is clear that Richard recognizes the Monster in this drawing. Richard visits Locke sometime in the late 1950s-early 1960s, before DHARMA came to the island. If DHARMA created the monster, Locke probably wouldn't have been drawing it, and Richard certainly wouldn't have recognized it.
  • But, it could be guessed that Richard is not actually immortal and was just that age when it went to visit Locke, but rather that he time travelled to see him, which could mean that the smoke monster is a creation of Dharma and Richard, from post-Dharma times, still recognizes it.
    • But Richard should have been on the Island before Dharma. Also going by the rules established so far Richard should not have been able to interact (if he was time traveling) with Locke as they had not previously interacted (I dont think standing outside a window would count). Also if John can see the Monster, why put him through the test? Seeing something half a world away should have shown a strong enough connection to the Island. Most likely Richard had designed (or helped) the Monster already, John's picture gave him the idea to cloak it in black smoke.
• In This Place Is Death, Robert asserts that it is a security system for The Temple. This would suggest that the Monster was a remnant of a past civilization, which had built the temple and is responsible for the various hieroglyphic signs around the Island.
  • This is also supported by the fact that in The Shape of Things to Come, when Ben enters the tunnel to summon the Monster, there are also hieroglyphic characters on the walls there.
• In This Place Is Death it was also shown that the apparent CV was a part of a temple site. In Exodus, Part 2, the CV was shown as a hole in the ground. If DHARMA constructed any CV for the Monster there would be certainly remnants of it. This could mean that the DI either was not responsible for the Monster or the temple site at this location was destroyed by something or that monster has its own exits and entries to the underground.

Post-DHARMA Creation

The Remains of a Future Civilization

• A future civilization created/will create the monster for a purpose yet to be revealed. They moved the island in time (possibly to the time of the Black Rock). All that remains of them is the monster. The monster appears to be composed of mechanical elements of an advanced technology. Perhaps this civilization is the origin of the Island's apparent supernatural properties.
  • It's connection to the Temple suggests it was sent back even further than the Black Rock times.

The end result of when machines meet time travel

• The monster is essentially a self aware machine that has discovered time travel. For the sake of its own survival, it attempts to automate efforts to course correct events that happen during time shifts that couple disrupt its eventual existence.

Non Man-Made

Natural phenomenon

These theories hold it true that the Monster emerged naturally on the Island. It should be seen as any of the following:

• A natural phenomenon responsible for fatalities of the pregnant women on the Island.
• A force of nature that has evolved to maintain balance between warring elements in nature as well as in the human psyche. It can thus be seen both as a destructive force and a guardian of the elements whose existence it deems worthy and good and spares from its destruction. It dwells deep underground where no instrument made by man ever can reach it and it protects those whose mental images convey innocence and goodness (i.e., not threat to the natural order and balance that it has evolved to keep intact).
  • The Egyptian hieroglyphics in the Hatch translated into underworld. When Ben opens the ancient gate he seems to be looking down onto a staircase leading to the underworld. The hieroglyphics on the door in Ben's secret room says to summon protection. This could be a reference to the Monster — i.e. the Island's security system.

Supernatural phenomenon

These theories hold it true that the Monster is of a supernatural essence. It is therefore to be seen as any of the following:

• An emanation of the Island itself that takes over the memories of the ones it kills, thereby forming a collective consciousness comprised by the consciousness of each of its victims.
• A manifestation or embodiment of the original inhabitants of the Island, a higher form of collective existence. May have been created as a result of the Purge.
• The "spirit" or consciousness of the Island, or a supernatural force that carries out the desires of that consciousness. The Monster manifests itself physically as Richard Alpert, or can manifest itself in the minds of the inhabitants of the Island: Yemi to Eko, Ben's mother to Ben Linus, or Dave to Hugo.
  • As revealed by Lost: The Answers, Ben's mother was actually an apparition, and Dave was a figment of Hurley's imagination. They are not the Monster.
• The avatar of the man we know as Jacob, who has transcended time and space and become one with the supernatural properties of the Island. The Island has always had powerful properties, most visibly in the form of electromagnetic anomalies that makes it invisible, but it never had a conscious mind and so it never directed these powers towards a specific purpose in the way that we've seen in various actions taken by the Monster. When the Island first became inhabited by humans in ancient times one man went down to its underworld and there merged with the core of the electromagnetic anomaly, sending his consciousness far into the future. Benjamin Linus first interacted with this entity as it took the form of Ben's only childhood friend, Jacob, who passed away in the purge.
  • The human consciousness within the Monster is freed of the body that caged it, yet this means that the man who in ancient times merged his consciousness with the properties of the Island is forced to live through all ages like a ghost. The only way for him to interact with the outside world is to use the properties of the Island to take on different forms of apparitions, which he does by letting his consciousness mirror the consciousness of others to judge them. It's because the physical entity of Jacob is dead since long (his consciousness is trapped in time because of the time-warping properties of the Island) that he can't physically touch anything or speak audibly. He uses the powers of the Island purposefully to become a force of judgment.

God-like being

The Monster is an unknowable hidden force of nature that in its composition is invisible to man. It is immaterial as it is made of light particles instead of atoms. Instead of, like us, move in a physical, tangible dimension, it moves in a dimension of light. Though it feeds on light and would die if it lost what corresponds to the human circulatory or nervous system, in the eyes of humans it is indistinguishable from a divine power.

• The light shed is beautiful to look at, bringing a feeling of euphoria. But for the ones fully captured by it, the experience is comparable to enslavement. They are manipulated for the Monster's purposes (to teach a critical truth or give a prophetic message). The Monster can possess and raise the dead who for the time of their brief reanimation never can speak on their own behalf.
  • When a living individual looks into the light it momentarily takes away the free will of the viewer.

The god-like being seeks to reach order and harmony in nature through destruction. It is thereby a destructive but just avenger - a redemptive force.

• The redemption experienced by various protagonists in Lost is the triumph of the free will to defy predictable patterns of behavior. Free will is expressed when characters forgive (Claire), seek forgiveness (Charlie), let go of grudges (Jack) or atone for past transgressions (Sawyer and Kate, Sayid and Michael). The Monster tests an individual's moral integrity by introducing temptations to reject altruism. If they fall for the temptation and refuse to atone their mistakes (which was the case with Eko), the Monster punishes the transgressor. When the characters instead listen to their inner conscience and act unselfishly, having learnt from their past transgressions, the Monster lets them go in peace.
  • Letting the god-like being rule supreme would mean an end to all wars, but it would also mean that mankind has no more responsibility because we would have no more free will. If DHARMA or any other group harness the power of the Monster it would mean that murder would never be committed again, but it would at the same time enslave people and condemn everyone to give up individual responsibility. This is why Ben doesn't want anyone to find the Island. He knows that free will is forever lost if the Monster is captured and its powers used to create a false heaven on Earth.
• The monster is a force that "course corrects" offending people and things. If the past is changed, and a character no longer exists (due to his past self being terminated in some way), then the monster destroys that character. Much like a "Langolier," in Stephen King's The Langoliers.

Might be a version of djinn that inhabits the Island. A djinn (also jinn, genie) is a supernatural, fiery being who possesses free will.

• The djinn are described as living in colonies (there are several "whisps" of smoke that make up the Monster) often in a particular place (The Temple, Dark Territory, etc.) While djinn are said to be made from "smokeless fire", it is possible the producers have twisted the typical definition of djinn to create the Monster.

• Djinn are supposed to be much stronger than humans (easily grabs people, uproots trees, etc.) and often harass people. Sometimes, djinn possess people or duplicate their form (for example, the manifestation of Yemi?) The Qur'an described them as creatures of different forms; some resembling vultures and snakes, or as dragons, or a number of other animals. (May explain Hurley Bird?)

• The use of Hieroglyphics throughout the show may be a hint to the Monster's origin and/or background. While djinn are from Arabian folklore, the producers may extend djinn lore to the Egyptian era.

• As a supernatural being, different rules may apply to the Monster. Some legends claim that spirits and other supernatural creatures can be controlled or bidden through iron, or blood, or special symbols.
  • For example, the Black Rock was carrying slaves (possibly also the Monster, whose presence or "attention" was bound to the ship by the slaves in irons?)
  • Ben's secret door bore hieroglyphs. Roughly translated, they read "to summon protection..."

Discredited theories on origin

• In late December 2008 it was revealed by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse that the Island's "security system predates DHARMA".[1]

Purpose

Security system

• Rousseau knew more about the monster than any of the Survivors. She told Jack and Kate that it is a security system designed to protect the Island ("Exodus, Part 1").
  • Robert's claim that it protects the Temple supports this theory. ("This Place Is Death")
  • Then again, Rousseau never displayed to have any information beyond her own experience, deductions and superstitions. Not to mention her mental health makes her an unreliable source.

These theories build on the notion that the Monster indeed is a protector of the Island:

• Naturally defends the Island. The DHARMA projects may restrict the Island's natural expression and so the Monster may want to destroy them. It may have wanted the survivors of Oceanic 815 to stop pushing the button, so it could continue its natural existence in harmony with the Island.
• The Others determine who and what can reside on the Island by using the Monster as a watchdog. The main person/entity controlling the watchdog is Jacob. He is the master of the Island, the one who shaped the monster, brought it into being and gave it the name of Cerberus.

• When the Monster dragged Montand to The Temple, it was not going to kill him, but it was dragging him there for some other unknown Purpose.

See also: The Others/Theories

Judgment

• The Monster is both Judge, Jury and Executioner. In Mr. Eko's first encounter the Monster was showing him the crimes of his past and seeing his reaction to those crimes. The second time it came in the form of Yemi to ask him if he was sorry for the crimes he had committed, but as Mr. Eko's answer was that he had "committed no sin", the Monster carried out the punishment it decided Mr. Eko deserved. Hence he was given a chance by the Monster to admit he had done wrong in his life, but instead didn't.
• Judges people as good or bad, and only the "Good" people can pass it. That's why the "Others" are collecting "Good" people, so they can send them to do some task in the area the Monster is protecting.
  • This is somewhat supported by the fact that Locke sees it as a bright light; he calls it beautiful. Later, Ben (while masquerading as Henry Gale) tells Locke that it was his mission to to kidnap Locke, and that he is one of the "good ones". Eko was judged as not being one of the "good ones", and the Monster killed him.
    • Could possibly be not true as the Monster never seemed to judge Montand or Nadine when Rousseau's team arrived in the Dark Territory. It seemed to be killing in order to protect the Temple instead of judging them.
• Specifically judges people who have killed other people. This would explain the Others’ reluctance to kill and their references to not killing people as well as their reluctance to associate with the survivors of Oceanic 815 until they discover who is a killer and who is not. In this form it would have been created as a way to rid the world of murder.
  • Whenever the Monster appears, someone has recently died or been killed. The Pilot could be seen as partly responsible for the passengers who died. When it attacked Locke in Exodus, Locke's self-serving interest in the Hatch had just caused Boone's death. Moreover, when it attacked Keamy and his men and Juliet on the other side of the sonic fence, both Keamy and Juliet had recently committed murder.
• Forces people to confront their past. Once they do so, the Monster either removes them or helps them reach redemption.
  • Causes flashbacks as a way to view the conscience of the ones it encounters and uses what it sees as a basis for judgment. This theory suggests that it acts as a manifestation of Karma, protecting innocents from evil by identifying the ones with guilty conscience, judging them and punishing them.
• The Monster is Ammit, the Great Swallower of Egyptian mythology.
  • In Egyptian mythology, Ammit was the personification of divine retribution for all the wrongs one had committed in life. She dwelt in the Hall of Ma'at, who was the personification of the concept of truth, balance, and order.The hearts of the dead were weighed by Anubis against a feather from Ma'at's headdress. The hearts of those who were heavy with wrongdoing failed the test were given to Ammit for her to devour. Those whose souls were devoured were not permitted to enter Aaru, having to be restless forever—effectively dying a second time. If the heart was lighter than a feather then the soul was judged by the god of the underworld, Osiris. With the strong Egyptian undertones, especially this season, the monster could be a personification of Ammit. When the monster poses as Yemi, it asks Eko if he is sorry for the wrongdoings in his life. When Eko says no, the monster kills him. We saw in "This Place is Death" that the monster lives in the Temple with the hieroglyphics on it. This temple, which goes underground, could represent the Hall of Ma'at where souls are judged.

See also: Good and bad people

Composition

Technological

The following theories are based on technology.

• A successful attempt at making Nikola Tesla's proposed "mind reading device" a reality. Here is a quote from Tesla himself: "The theory I have formulated is that the images were the result of a reflex action from the brain on the retina under great excitation. They certainly were not hallucinations such as are produced in diseased and anguished minds, for in other respects I was normal and composed. To give an idea of my distress, suppose that I had witnessed a funeral or some such nerve-wracking spectacle. Then, inevitably, in the stillness of night, a vivid picture of the scene would thrust itself before my eyes and persist despite all my efforts to banish it. If my explanation is correct, it should be possible to project on a screen the image of any object one conceives and make it visible. Such an advance would revolutionize all human relations. I am convinced that this wonder can and will be accomplished in time to come. I may add that I have devoted much thought to the solution of the problem."
• A cloud of iron atoms suspended in a magnetic field. By changing the magnetic orientations of the atoms, they could act as a data storage system of enormous capacity. Canadian scientist Michael Persinger has shown that magnetic fields can cause hallucinations. The strong magnetic field needed to produce the Monster may result in the images seen by various characters.
• A cloud of metallic or magnetic particles that are moved by a machine traveling through tunnels underground. The underground machine, which must be moved on tracks, focuses the electromagnetic properties of the Island to keep the Monster elevated. This explains why it was tugging Locke down into a hole. This also explains why it was unseen for so long after it had dynamite thrown at it; the Others had to repair the system. It also explains why Rousseau knew that if they were positioned in a certain place, it wouldn't attack them because they were out of the path of the tunnel. It also explains why it could not go over the sonic barrier and why trees are pulled out - because their roots stand in way of underground machine.
  • The smoke cannot fly freely, as indicated in one of the Official Podcasts where it is questioned whether the Monster is able to completely detach itself from the ground. This statement, phrased as a question, was made by Carlton Cuse in response to a viewer question about why the Monster can't simply fly over the Sonic Fence. It would thus appear that the mechanical apparatus used to transport the Monster underground cannot be detached completely from the cloud of smoke at any time.
  • The blast door map references a network of underground EEP (or Emergency Escape Protocol) conduits. The locations of these conduits may define the effective range of the Monster. Additionally, the mechanical noises associated with the Monster may simply be the physical workings of the electromagnet (perhaps on rails, as mentioned above) as it repositions and manipulates the magnetic field.
• The Monster is emitted from the CV (Cerberus Vents) noted on the blast door map. Requires tunnels to travel through such as one it was trying to travel through in "Exodus, Part 2". (Hinted at during 4/16/07 podcast.)
• The Monster may not actually be made of black smoke, instead maybe the black smoke acts as a cloud around the real monster.

Metaphysical

• The Monster is the antipole to Jacob, i.e. the traditional god / devil theme reflected in many religions and mythologies. Although, similar to the religious themes, good may not mean perfect and their positions relative to good and evil may depend on circumstances. So, rather than good and evil, the Jacob/monster theme (or theory) may refer to two opposing forces which battle for the power over the Island and its inhabitants.
• The Monster is a mass of volcanic soot/ash/smoke inhabited by spirits dwelling beneath the Island. Its purpose is to protect the Temple which serves as an entrance to the underworld and is situated on or near the crater of the Island's volcano.
• The monster acts as a course correction force for a fate that has to happen with necessity. As where Seth Norris was never supposed to be flying flight 815 therefore never supposed to be on the Island. Another Example is that Eko was supposed to be on the Drug Smuggler's plane. The Plane crashed on the Island so therefore Eko should have already been dead. That's why the monster killed him.

Cerberus

• Cerberus in Greek mythology was charmed by music. This may relate later to Charlie's musical background, or Danielle's music box.
  • Or the Sonic barrier as seen in "Left Behind".
• The Cerberus uses tunnels or underwater passages to travel around the Island. The underwater reference is related to the “large number of underwater springs” and the fact that Cerberus are also a name for dog-faced water snakes. The written references about Cerberus on the map are limited to the areas where the tunnels are located, which appears to validate this is the mode of travel.
• The mythological Cerberus guarded spirits from escaping Hades. The Lost incarnation of Cerberus could be guarding a virus or disease from escaping.
• The reference that "a mouse does not rely on just one hole" - written in Latin from the blast door map means that Cerberus has more than one way of being utilized.
• The reference "a mouse does not rely on just one hole" that is on the blast door map(assuming that 'Cerberus' is the smoke monster) is referring to the Cerberus Vents, or CV I-CV IV. These include the hole that the monster almost dragged Locke into.
• Cerberus is the black cloud security system, powered by electromagnetic energy from the Swan. Ben manipulated Locke to have the Swan station shut down in order to stop the malfunctioning Cerberus, which has prevented the Others from safely accessing various parts of the Island.
  • Since the implosion of the Swan, we have seen Cerberus with Kate and Juliet. This means that either Ben was wrong about the Monster's nature, or that Ben didn't convince Lock to blow up the station.
• Another aspect of the mythical Cerberus is that it was ever-watchful (as with three heads, it always had at least one awake). Using the name strongly implies a security system.
• However, Cerberus may not refer specifically to the smoke monster. The producers said in an interview that we've seen the Monster in the second half of season two without realizing what we were looking at. Cerberus refers to the entire underground electromagnetic contraption that we saw part of when (I think) Sayid and Jack went underground in the Hatch and there was a lot of machinery whose purpose they didn't know. This was part of the machine that protects(ed?) the Island using an electromagnetic field.
  • The monster has the confirmed ability to disguise itself and appear to those on the island. This is most likley what the producers were refering to.
• The "'85 incident" and/or the "catastrophic meltdown of the Cerberus system" are the different times that the button wasn't pushed in time. Perhaps one of them is what caused The Black Rock to end up miles inland. The smoke monster is part of the entire system, and it comes out of holes or vents in the ground. That would make sense as to why Rousseau would say that the smoke is a security system. It's also been hinted by the producers during the podcast after "One of Us" that the smoke monster can't leave the ground. This would follow if it's part of an underground system.
• The Cerberus is a DHARMA station used for studying the monster, and is where they created what we know as the Cerberus system. Much like the Swan station protocol.

Other theories

One theory is that Benjamin Linus controls or at least can control the Monster:

• The Monster is controlled by whomever is the leader of the Others. That used to be Ben and is at the present Locke. To have this control is to have a great power and the question is if he can learn how to use it properly.
  • I doubt that Locke is able to summon the monster like Ben can. Ben summons the monster obviously by triggering some sort of device that activates the monster. This was possibly why the monster was created, as a security system to protect the Dharma workers from attacks by the Hostiles, and as Ben was brought to the island as a part of Dharma he would know how to trigger this mechanism to call the monster to his aid.
    • The dharma inisuitive did not create the monster
• There have been several events involving the Monster, but there has been only one event with a connection to Ben. At the Barracks, Ben disappeared into a previously undisclosed room and re-emerged, covered in soot. The Monster appeared very soon thereafter and attacked the mercenaries. Sawyer asked Ben if he had called the Monster, but got no answer. The conclusion is that the Monster is a tool that can be used by the Leader, currently Ben, of the Others, and it can move wherever it wants on the Island.
  • This is not necessairily the only conclusion, it is very possible that Ben learned to control the smoke monster through some other means, especially if, like previously uncovered the monster was part of the island's defense system before Dharma arrived
• Ben sent the Monster to kill Eko because as Locke said, "Forgiveness is not one of their strong points".
• The Shape of Things to Come is not the first time the Monster has done the bidding of Ben and the Others. Ben sent the Monster to frighten the mid-section survivors on the day of the crash, because he knew that it was in his interests to keep the surviors frightened and disorientated (Pilot). When the Others discovered that one of the survivors had been in a wheelchair before getting on the plane, they sent the Monster to collect information and ascertain whether this person was in fact as "special" as his apparently miraculous recovery suggested (Walkabout). Satisfied by the information provided by the Monster that Locke was "special", the Others sent the Monster after him a second time, this time with instructions to bring him back to their base at the Barracks via the underground tunnels through which the Monster moves and which lead to the secret door in Ben's house. However, Jack's intervention prevented the Monster from completing its mission (Exodus).

Michael Emerson, the actor who plays Benjamin Linus, has offered his theory on what the Monster is:

• "I think it all has something to do with metallic dust. I think the smoke monster is connected to that ring of powder that surrounds Jacob's cabin. They've established that there are super magnetic forces are at work on the Island, so what better medium for those forces to work through than through fine filings of metal?"[2]

Other theories deal specifically with either the properties or actions of the Monster:

• The Monster senses fear within an individual and is more likely to attack and chase after people who are afraid of it. It doesn't seem to attack those who stand their ground because they are not afraid of it.
• The monster is itself from time to time frightened. At first it wants to make an impression so it scares the losties by killing the pilot and tearing up trees near the losties camp ("Pilot, Part 1"). Then as it aims to repeat this but it is itself scared by what it sees inside the haunted memories of some of the survivors, especially Locke and Eko.
  • In support of this theory, while Jack, Locke, Kate and Hurley return from the Black Rock with dynamite, the monster attacks and pulls Locke into a hole. It is repelled by Kate when she throws a stick of dynamite at it. It is possible the explosion frightened the monster and caused it to retreat.
• It's capable of entering people's dreams.
• It tracks people by their movements. In "Exodus, Part 1", Locke told Hurley to stay immobile. In "The 23rd Psalm", Mr. Eko stares motionless at the Monster.
• Can sense living things. This is why it can be avoided by hiding in trees; the life force of the tree masks that of the people hiding inside it.
• The spectral analysis of the sound made by the sonic barrier, one of the frequency bands corresponds to 972 Hz, which is the average resonant frequency of the human skull. The barrier could be a means of not allowing the Monster to "get into the mind" or "skull" of it's target.
• The "bright light" Locke saw was actually the flashes the monster makes, the same as the ones Kate and Juliet saw.
• The Monster seems to have a connection to the physical remains of some of the personae it assumes - Christian Shepard's body and Yemi's body were both on the Island.

• The Monster is the manifestation of the high electromagnetic fields the island produces. High electromagnetic fields are known to cause hallucinations and "fear cages" that can enclose on peoples psyches. DHARMA has been studying electromagnetism and possibly made the connection that the Monster is made up high electromagnetic fields, that is why they built the fence around the barracks.

• The monster is from the other side of "The Wall" which is being excavated by the DHARMA Initiative in the episode 'Because You Left'

• Many inferences which can be made about the wheel can be extrapolated to apply to the Monster as well.
  • It is not natural formation, but rather made by human beings.
  • It was created by the same inhabitants which inscribed the mysterious hieroglyphs.
  • It is not supernatural in origin, but derives its properties from some element of "fringe" science (exotic matter in the case of the wheel).
  • It is subject to malfunction.
• The monster may have caused the plane crash as black smoke is seen when the others witness the crash.

• The monster is Richard Alpert. Richard has been on the island since at least the 1950s, protecting it, and hasn't appeared to have aged significantly since then. It could be argued the monster is protecting the island, too. Richard was Ben's second-in-command, and Ben summoned the monster to kill the US army soldiers. We've seen the monster cross the sonar fence when it was active. In the episode 'Le Fleur', it appears Richard has done the same thing. The monster's den/temple is inscribed with ancient Egyptian heiroglyphics. Richard's appearance (his dark eyes, skin tone) shares similarity to ancient Egyptians.

Possible references to myths and religious stories

• Based on Humbaba, the guardian monster of the Cedar forest, killed by Gilgamesh and Enkidu in The Epic of Gilgamesh. The story of the killing of Humbada and the subsequent curse placed on Enkidu for his immoral act ties in with Lost's (and the Others') theme of judgment. Also, it is Enkidu's death that spurs Gilgamesh to pursue his quest for eternal life, which mirrors some of the research of the Hanso Foundation. This could go with the crossword puzzle Locke fills the word "Gilgamesh" with.
  • Also a figure in Sumerian myth, the Monster bears some resemblance to Tiamat, a living primordial ocean from which the universe is differentiated in creation stories. Tiamat is the feminine saltwater counterpart to Apsu, a comparable primordial freshwater sea.
• The snake-like form of the Monster evokes the image of the snake from the Garden of Eden, which might tie in to Adam and Eve. If the Island is Eden, then that might explain more about various recurring themes, especially duality, as in the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
• The Monster physically represents the description of a demon- in the Christian understanding; a fallen angel- in "The Demonologist" by Gerald Brittle. "The Demonologist" is a non-fiction book chronicling the works of Ed and Lorraine Warren who are investigators of the paranormal and haunted houses including the infamous Ammityville House. Through their many encounters, the Warrens describe demons as a blacker than black mass, while ghosts appear as a dim light. Any study of real haunting cases would come across the Warrens and would likely encounter the book of their experiences. Further more demons are said to manifest in disguise to trick people (ie with Eko). This "black mass" was also represented in the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose".
• It is of the same nature as Cerebus, the guardian beast of the underwold in the Greek mythology. Implies multiple heads of the same monster. Like Cerberus (three heads). A judge, jury, executioner type scenario.
  • Hints supporting the theory: Many characters refer to the monster as the security system, but, as we know, DHARMA protected itself with many security systems (the fail safe for example). Hence, there could be more than one security system and thereby more than one aspect of the monster. That would explain some characters conflicting reactions to the security system. When Locke had his first run in, he said "I looked into the eye of this island, and what I saw was beautiful." During his second confrontation, coming back from the Black Rock, he runs toward it in anticipation but then suddenly turns fearful.
• In Exodus God tells Moses that he will appear as “a thick cloud” (Ex 19:9) and when he arrives its described as “thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled.” (Ex 19:17). This is very similar to the monster on the island. It’s a dense cloud, makes thunderous noise, produces flashes of light and sometimes makes a loud horn-like sound.
• In the Ancient Egyptian Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor[3] a giant snake guards the mysterious island. The snake appears with thunder and earthquake when the protagonist is making a fire as an offer to the gods. This snake asks the sailor 3 questions and then takes him to her lair by her mouth, where she asks him the same questions again. She then tells him about herself and the island, especially how the island will disappear after the sailor is rescued.

Possible references to cultural works

• The Monster acts based on actions of the character which it is stalking. A similar security system in Steven King's Dark Tower series kills intruders by reaching into their worst fear and attacking them with this information.
• A reference to the comic Iron Man #5 (September, 1968 Marvel Comics).
  • History: (Iron Man I#5 (fb) ) - "Cerberus", was created in an alternate future on Earth. In that reality, around the time of the modern era, that world's Tony Stark designed "Cerberus", as a huge, sophisticated master computer for use in coordinating the USA's defense planning. It was so successful that the government had Stark expand its abilities and responsibilities, enabling it to function in any area. It continued to expand over time, eventually functioning on an international level, constantly being enlarged to fantastic proportions. "Cerberus" gradually gained sentience and a personality of its own, even acquiring the ability to expand itself as necessary. It continued to expand, engulfing the entire world, and eventually it ceased serving mankind and demanded that mankind serve it instead.
• Related to the alien chemical weapon named the "Black Smoke" in sci-fi novel The War of the Worlds.
• The monster may be a reference to a mysterious object described by Evariste Galois. His work involved finding symmetry in mathematical equations which lead to producing a transcending object that lives in 196,884 dimensions and may be connected to the fabric of the universe which is known as the Monster.
• It's a reference to the monster in the sci-fi movie Forbidden Planet. The notion that it's a machine created to materialize significant frightening things of the past is essentially identical to the advanced technology instrumental to the plot of the classic 1950's motion picture. Here the forbidden memories come from the primal past of a civilization when the beings were primitive, brutal and uncontrollable. Forbidden Planet was inspired by and has the same outline as William Shakespeare's "The Tempest," which is also the name of a DHARMA station.
• It may be a reference to the monster in Dean Koontz's Phantoms. In Phantoms, the monster is an ancient, incredibly intelligent creature that can take many different forms, including splitting itself into probes which often take the shape of its former victims. It uses these different forms to deceive and taunt its victims.

Miscellaneous discredited theories

• The Monster is not created by DHARMA. Prior to the confirmation given by Lindelof and Cuse in late 2008, the majority of the theories about the Monster's origin were closely tied to theories about DHARMA. Fans suggesting that it was a "security system" speculated that it filled any of the following roles:
  • A perfect judicial system for a Utopian community, but one which subsequently got out of control.
  • A watcher over the stations. However an incident occurred that made it go wild.
  • A guardian or a protecting robot created by DHARMA during their war with the the Others/Hostiles, cloaked to look like a cloud of black smoke and designed to mainly protect the workers in the different stations.
  • A result of a bioengineering experiment conducted by the zoology department.
  • The real Experiment of the Dharma Initiative - designed to improve people one by one in an attempt to change the basic factors of the Valenzetti Equation to change the course of the human race for the better. And yet, it has now broken free from those who tried to control it, The Others, and it roams the Island, forcing its change of character on anyone it meets in its territory.
• The Monster is not a nanobot cloud similar to the one featured in Michael Crichton's novel Prey. This theory has been dismissed by Damon Lindelof [4] [5], and in the July 31, 2006 official podcast.
  • Lindelof's comments do not, however, preclude the possibility of an organic nanite swarm, or a supernatural variant thereof.
    • Lindelof explained that the mysterious cloud of black smoke is not a cloud of nanobots. "Of course," he added, "that depends on how you define 'nanobot'."

See also

• Mural/Theories#Man's arm blends with the figure