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3x08 desmond rain

It's a common belief amongst Lost fans that Desmond Hume's "visions" were all actual glimpses of the future. I can understand why people think that (for a long time, I did too). But look a little closer and you may be surprised by what's actually going on.

Before we go any further, I need to talk about Lost's "time loop theory".

The time loop theory - some believe it, some don't, others don't understand it while many more haven't even heard of it. There is no "one" theory and they're all confusing. The one thing they do all have in common is the notion of a time loop where a reset occurs and events re-play slightly differently each time until "The Incident" occurs that breaks the loop cycle and allows the events in 2007 to play out.

Let me try and break it down to the heart of the central facet of the time loop theory (TLT) that's most relevant to this article. The part of the time loop I am referring to is based round the Island being stopped from blooping all over the place (by John Locke). The thing to focus on with the "TLT" is that things kept cycling round and round and our Losties were (unbeknownst to them) never able to get to 2007 UNTIL the Ajira flight happened (which remember, Jacob himself engineered through Eloise, Ben etc). This in turn meant that the Candidates (previously caught in the loop) could all of a sudden travel FROM 1977 to 2007 and therefore defeat the MiB who thought the Candidates were all perpetually stuck in the loop. That is why fLocke looks so shocked when Jacob whispers to him "they're coming". He was referring to the Candidates that the MiB had thought were lost forever looping. When Jacob says "you found your loophole", that was actually a veiled reference to the end of the time loop as well.

It's not important to go into any more detail about it because, as mentioned, there is no single theory and I've certainly not cracked it. What is important is the evidence that strongly suggests a loop is shaping events on Lost.

The one 'variable' amongst a sea of 'constants' is Desmond. He was "uniquely and miraculously special". He is also the key to breaking the loop because his existence appears to transcend time and space somehow. Faraday knew it as did both Eloise and Widmore. (It is no coincidence these 'time keepers' are all directly related). Desmond could also withstand otherwise lethal doses of electromagnetic energy - the very thing that allowed all forms of time travel on Lost (from the zapping of the polar bears and rabbits in the Orchid Station time chamber, to the entire Island blooping through time when the Frozen Donkey Wheel was turned).

Des-dan-swan

I believe Desmond's "visions" are NOT glimpses of the future. They are dim memories of his past. Evidence suggests that while all our Losties are experiencing a time loop, Desmond experiences it slightly differently. Unlike everyone else (who are unaware of the looping), he doesn't remember his "previous" experiences until he approaches the same critical event again. Something he sees/experiences then triggers the deja-vu moment.

It is for this reason that I strongly believe that none of his visions were precognitive. Why else are there (usually big) differences between his visions (things that I think happened on a previous time loop that he is just realising but thinks is the future) and what actually happens (seeing Claire get into the helicopter for example - something that in the timeline we see, never happened, yet Desmond seemed very sure of it). How else do you explain that in all his visions he sees Charlie die, yet he was always saved? (Except of course for that last time). Therefore his visions are not in fact what happens in the future.

Here's the thing. If the visions were premonitions, then what happens in those visions MUST be exactly what then happens! If you're seeing the future and then that reality is different when that moment occurs - then you didn't actually see the future in the first place. They can't be different! Some would then argue that by knowing the future you could change it - but then that rescinds the original vision and you have what scientists (and Einstein himself) call a 'temporal paradox' - or a scientific impossibility.

Flashes - Charlie

HOWEVER - if the visions/flashes are 'memories' from the 'past' (due to time looping), then you could totally change that vision as happened time and time again when Desmond kept saving Charlie. One vision explicitly showed an arrow to Charlie's neck. The reality was that Desmond moved Charlie out of the way just in time. So the original vision could not under ANY theory be a precognitive flash because what was seen in that vision DID NOT HAPPEN!!! Not in THAT timeline anyway. But he did see it so it must have occurred - in his past memory.

When you think about it, Charlie was mostly only ever in danger because of Desmond taking him on treks into the jungle etc. He only died because he did what Desmond said he saw in one of his flashes. How else would he have thought of swimming down to the Looking Glass Station and if so, how and why? My guess is that in the previous loop, that's what happened, then only because Desmond said he saw it and told him that his heroics would pay off, did Charlie do it in the latest loop (that we see where he dies).

This would also explain why Desmond was so confident that Jack fixed Sarah (during their first meeting in the stadium) - he recalled their on-Island conversation where Jack told him that he did, in fact, fix her. It would also explain why the microwave beeping sound reminded him of the Hatch computer as well as many other instances where Desmond 'remembers' something familiar but doesn't quite know why.

Lost timeline

By extension - this also means that there were multiple time loops. Exactly how many is unknown. The reason I say this is that - if we accept the visions as being 'memories', then Desmond has experienced multiple "Charlie deaths" (and he can only die once per loop). In each new loop, he saves Charlie's life one extra time - culminating in what happens in "Through The Looking Glass" at the end of Season 3. He made the decision (under some duress from his previous chats with Eloise) to give up saving Charlie because he believed it was fruitless as "time had a way of course correcting". The thing is, this was planted in his head by Eloise (whether it's true or not, who really knows) so that a pre-determined course of action takes place that leads to The Incident.

So who knew about the Time Loop? Well no one's sure but based on the available evidence, Eloise and Widmore appeared to know something about it - but of course they were being manipulated into ensuring things happened a certain way by either (or both) the MiB and Jacob. If I had to guess, I'd say both knew but it was Jacob who was able to understand it well enough to use it to his advantage and place him in 'checkmate' position against his brother.

Namaste488tlt

I also have a more controversial theory that Ben Linus also knew of it, and it's got a lot to do with the image on the right. The evidence in my opinion is irrefutable - but I'll leave that to another post in the not too distant future.

So as you can see, it all comes down to how you define the visions and whether you believe that time looping is occurring.

One final thing to add. In Lost mythology, the writers were very clear about how time worked. "What happened, happened". It isn't like it is on Star Trek or Fringe where you could (and often did) have multiple timelines/universes. That's not possible on Lost. You could time travel (obviously) but you couldn't change destiny. If you tried, the universe would "course correct" as proven time and time again (pun intended). Time on Lost was completely linear. You could move forwards and back, but you couldn't change destiny/fate. Doing so was futile.

Seriestv hawking

The Universe, unfortunately, has a way of course-correcting. That man was supposed to die, that was his path. Just as it's your path to go to the Island. You don't do it because you choose to, Desmond; you do it because you're supposed to. (Eloise Hawking)


Put simply, in Desmond's case "deja vu" doesn't mean a "feeling" that events are repeating themselves - they actually are! As Eloise explained, events must repeat themselves, and it's Desmond's job to make sure they do.

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