It was recently suggested (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showpost.php?p=501014&postcount=10)that Demond's use of the spotlight might indicate that the Others are sensitive to light, and that this sensitivity might be due to their illness. I now believe I've found further pseudo-scientific support for this theory--support that may also help illuminate (multiple puns intended) the "sickness."

Many have noted before that the pineal gland is also referred to as the "mind's eye"--a central metaphor in the show. The pineal gland secretes melatonin, a hormone known to affect our sensitivity to sunlight:
Only in very recent times have medical scientists identified the hormonal secretion of the pineal gland, finally isolating it in 1968. The essence was called melatonin, which means 'night worker' (from the Greek, melos, meaning 'black', and tosos, meaning 'labour'). Those with a high melatonin output react strongly against sunlight because it affects their mental capability; they are essentially night operatives. Melatonin is called the 'hormone of darkness' as it is produced only at night or in the dark.
Also, those afflicted with overactive pineal glands tend to be very spiritually aware:
Exposure to an excess of sunlight actually makes the pineal gland smaller and lessens spiritual awareness, whereas darkness and high pineal activity enhance the keen intuitive knowledge of the subtle mind while reducing the stress factor.
(Full text here (http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/starfire2.html).) What if those with the "sickness" have overactive pineal glands? I'm drawn to this speculation because it dove-tails neatly with my theory that the "sickness" is basically a cult of the island (or whatever controls it). It also connects well with the Lovecraft speculations. As anyone who has read Call of Cthulhu knows, the creature therein communicates with artists via vivid and disturbing dreams not unlike the mural. Lovecraft attributes these visions to the pineal gland.

I like this, bigmouth! It gives The Others (http://imdb.com/title/tt0230600/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9VGhlIE 90aGVyc3xmdD0xfG14PTIwfGxtPTUwMHxjbz0xfGh0bWw9MXxu bT0x;fc=1;ft=31;fm=1) even more meaning.

I really like your theory, bigmouth! May I invite you to join us at N.E.R.D? We are the science and pseudoscience nerds and this stuff is right down our alley! Just let me know and I'll add you to our member list. Then you can proudly display your membership in your signature!

Luv
The Nerdly Foundress

todell: It gets better. Would you believe that the pineal gland and its secretions were of great interest to alchemists? Also, in all seriousness, I wondered about the Others connection. Someone on lost-tv noted that Sayid and Sawyer heard the whispers during the day. What if the Others are sleeping but can still project themselves psychically via their dreams? Perhaps that's what the whispers are...

luv: From one nerd to another, I would be honored!

This is very interesting and your first quote made me think the "slaves" in the Black Rock, could have been a clue to go down this alley?

WIF: Could very well be. If you'll recall, one of my original speculations (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=16188)was that humanity was enslaved long ago by some powerful psychic being. Perhaps a side effect of "sickness" is that it makes you more susceptible to such psychic slavery by dilating your mind's eye. At the very least, if I'm right, we now have a pretty clear link btw the "sickness" and religion/spirituality. And religion has been analogized to drugs (i.e., the opiate of the masses) which can cause addiction. Aside from being a leitmotif of the show, addiction is only one step removed from slavery...

Also, as I reported on the tiberius thread, research has revealed a strong link between EMF fields and pineal functioning:
Because EMF exposure has been shown to suppress pineal release of melatonin in some species, it was hypothesized that EMF effects resemble those of exposure to long days.
Perhaps the electromagnetic energy in the Hatch also suppresses the "sickness"?

WIF: Could very well be. If you'll recall, one of my original speculations (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=16188)was that humanity was enslaved long ago by some powerful psychic being. Perhaps a side effect of "sickness" is that it makes you more susceptible to such psychic slavery by dilating your mind's eye. At the very least, if I'm right, we now have a pretty clear link btw the "sickness" and religion/spirituality. And religion has been analogized to drugs (i.e., the opiate of the masses) which can cause addiction. Aside from being a leitmotif of the show, addiction is only one step removed from slavery...


Found this while looking up Korean connections

"We had no knowledge of Christianity before this," said the doctor, newly settled with his family in an apartment complex in a Seoul neighbourhood. "We didn't even know who God was. In North Korea, they teach us that religion is like opium."

bigmouth: so we know that the law library in "Adrift" (http://lost-media.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&album=736&pos=95) is the same as the one in "Raised by Another," (http://lost-media.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&album=237&pos=646) but there also seem to be twice as many lights in Michael's scene as there are in Claire's... twice as many chandeliers, twice as many lamps (there are also twice as any people: 4 as opposed to 8). Any thoughts?

todell: I didn't catch that. I'm not sure what it means. What do you think? I do find it interesting that Michael was an artist, and artists are characterized by Lovecraft as unusually susceptible to psychic dreams via their pineal glands.

Also, something else just occurred to me that might relate to this theory. Many have expressed surprise that the cycle Desmond is on leaves little time for sleep. But what if he only has to enter the numbers when it's night on the island?

Recall that Desmond's day are night are apparently the opposite of the island's. And one suggestion of this thread is that the Others are primarily active when it's dark. Perhaps then entry of the numbers is only necessary at night when the Others are active.

Could even be that, in addition to being a deadman's switch, entry of the numbers does or causes something that protects the Hatch.

Hey bigmouth, great thread. I really think you're on to something with it. Also, reading your theory got me to thinking about an old theory of mine on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). So, I did some research -- rTMS has been known to have an affect on the pineal gland. Here is the info on that:

The effects of rTMS on the retina and pineal gland, where melatonin synthesis is regulated by light and by signals from biological clocks, were analyzed by Western blotting with an antiserum specific for the phosphorylated form of the transcription factor CREB (26-28). Measurements of CREB phosphorylation represent a more sensitive alternative to immediate-early gene detection for molecular changes occurring in tissues after stimulation (23, 27, 28). One application of rTMS produces a transient increase of CREB phosphorylation in the retina and pineal gland. Robust CREB phosphorylation is detected 15 min after stimulation and is strongly reduced within 45 min (Fig. 5). Stimulation using 10% of maximal power is ineffective in inducing CREB phosphorylation in both tissues. It has been shown that a brief exposure (5-10 min) to light during nighttime profoundly affects the level of melatonin synthesis in rats (29, 30) and that light regulates c-fos mRNA expression in the retina (31). Thus, we compared the effects of rTMS and light exposure during the dark phase of the circadian rhythm on c-fos mRNA expression. c-fos mRNA expression in pinealocytes is strongly reduced by rTMS and light exposure (Fig. 5). Because of the extensive connections of PVT with regions that control circadian rhythm, and because PVT neurons respond directly to rTMS, we investigated whether light stimulation at night produces the same effects as rTMS. Both treatments result in increased c-fos mRNA expression in PVT neurons and decreased expression in the pineal gland (Fig. 5). Our results indicate that rTMS particularly affects neurons located in regions involved in setting endogenous biological clocks. When applied during the dark phase of the circadian rhythm, rTMS produces the same effects as light stimulation in pinealocytes and PVT neurons.

Now, I know the above doesn't make a whole heckuva lot of sense right now. I'm trying to find some info on CREB phosphorylation, whatever the heck that is. I'm hoping I can find something (or some nice person will) that will make this make more sense.

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/95/26/15635

Below is my thread on Whispers and, eventually, rTMS and its possible effects on the Lostaways.

http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=12343&highlight=rTMS

Here's some info on CREB:

Creb1
LocusLink CREB1

SwissProt LocusLinkSymbol Affy UniGene RefSeq LocusLink GeneOntology

SwissProt Top
ID: CREB_HUMAN
Accession: P16220, P21934, Q9UMA7
Name: CREB1
Species: Homo sapiens
Protein: cAMP response element binding protein (CREB).
Functions: THIS PROTEIN BINDS THE CAMP RESPONSE ELEMENT (CRE), A SEQUENCE PRESENT IN MANY VIRAL AND CELLULAR PROMOTERS. CREB STIMULATES TRANSCRIPTION ON BINDING TO THE CRE.
ID: Q16366
Accession: Q16366
Name: CREB-1
Species: Homo sapiens
Protein: CREB-1 protein (Fragment).
ID: Q16367
Accession: Q16367
Name: CREB-1
Species: Homo sapiens
Protein: Cyclic AMP response element-binding protein-1 alpha beta isoform (Fragment).

johnny: I love it! Especially the part about rTMS. Very, very interesting reading. Are you familiar at all with the phenomenon of sleep paralysis? It's apparently triggered by low levels of melatonin, and causes extremely vivid dreams that some believe are a gateway to astral projection. Here's a description from lost-tv:
Electromagnetic fields are thought to have actually caused an outbreak of a sleeping disorder known as Sleep Paralysis [SP] in a whole town of people (an countless others). This disorder is triggered by the pineal gland producing an abnormally low level of melatonin, which in turn keeps one from entering deep sleep. This means the mind is mostly in REM, the dream state. When SP occures, the body is paralyzed, the mind is in a state of consciousness/awareness, but still able to dream. It's like being paralyzed, while lying in bed, and hallucinating. It can be quite scary, and if you didn't know any better, you'd swear you just encountered an alien force or ghosts or something scary like that. (a lot of "alien encounters" were found to be people just experiencing SP)
I'm also curious to learn more about CREB1. The part about "stimulating transcription" particularly caught my eye. Could the fuid in the vials be some sort of gene therapy?

hey bigmouth. It is pretty interesting, ain't it?

No, I hadn't heard of sleep paralysis before. Sounds interesting. Looks like I've got something else to research *lol*. Also, I'd never thought of it in terms of gene therapy before. I bet there are some amazing things that could be done with it, though.

Makes sense to me. Especially given the Dark Territory.

Check this out!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/05/040511042830.htm

Magnetic Treatment May Help People With Spinal Cord Injuries
A preliminary study has shown for the first time that it may be possible to help people who have suffered partial damage to their spinal cord by applying a magnetic therapy to their brain.

Writing in this month's Spinal Cord, a team of UK doctors describe how patients with incomplete spinal cord injuries received repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), leading to improvements in their ability to move muscles and limbs, and ability to feel sensations.

rTMS uses an electromagnet placed on the scalp to generate brief magnetic pulses, about the strength of an MRI scan, which stimulate the part of the brain called the cerebral cortex. Incomplete spinal cord injuries are a type of spinal injury where the spinal cord has not been entirely severed, but the patient has still lost the ability to move or feel properly below the injury point.

Dr Nick Davey from Imperial College London and Charing Cross Hospital, and one of the study's authors, says: "Through rTMS we may be able to help people who have suffered partial injuries to the spinal cord recover some of their movement and feeling. We think it works by strengthening the information leaving the brain through the undamaged neurons in the spinal cord. It may work like physiotherapy but instead of repeating a physical task, the machine activates the surviving nerves to strengthen their connections."

The researchers from Imperial College London, the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, UK, and Charing Cross Hospital, UK, tested rTMS on four patients with incomplete spinal injuries. The patients had all sustained their injuries at least 18 months previously and had already received conventional rehabilitation including physiotherapy. They were all considered stable in that they were no longer undergoing natural improvement. The patients received both real and sham rTMS treatment over a three-week period. The rTMS treatment involved five consecutive days of magnetic stimulation for one hour per day.

They noticed no difference between the baseline and the sham treatment, but found that the rTMS treatment resulted in a 37.5 (+/– 8) percent drop in intracortical inhibition, compared with normal physiotherapy. Weaker intracortical inhibition makes it easier for messages from the brain to pass down the spinal cord to the rest of the body. This reduction in intracortical inhibition was accompanied by improvement in both motor and sensory function, which lasted for at least three weeks after the treatment. Reduced intracortical inhibition also occurs naturally and can facilitate functional recovery, and this is reflected in improvements to the patients' ability to move and feel.

rTMS was a treatment designed to treat psychiatric disorders, and has been used in treating some of the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Dr Davey adds: "Despite this, we still need to be extremely careful in interpreting these results as we only sampled a small number of patients. Further studies on larger groups of patients will need to be carried out before we will know if this treatment is fully effective. Similarly we have no idea how long the treatment benefits will last over a longer period."

This work was supported by the International Spinal Research Trust, and Dr Davey and his team have recently received a further grant, again from the International Spinal Research Trust, to carry out further, larger trials.

###

Notes to editors:

1. Magnetic brain stimulation can improve clinical outcome in incomplete spinal cord injured patients. Spinal Cord, May 2004. 2. Consistently rated in the top three UK university institutions, Imperial College London is a world leading science-based university whose reputation for excellence in teaching and research attracts students (10,000) and staff (5,000) of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that enhance the quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture. Website: http:/​/​www.imperial.ac.uk.

Editor's Note: The original news release can be found here.

Johnny: Brilliant! I was also reading on lost-tv that the pineal gland is believed to be the center of navigational instincts in some animals, e.g., birds, via magnetic materials therein. Perhaps, in addition to curing Locke's paralysis, the effect of rTMS on Locke's pineal could also explain his ability to roam the island sans compass. It could also explain how he found the Hatch and its EMF field.

Lots of answers seem to be falling into place...

bigmouth: I don't know if you saw my rambling post (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?p=516219#post516219) over on Tiberius about this, but I find the whole "third eye" aspect of the pineal gland fascinating, especially in conjunction with the possibility that it has something to do with the onset of puberty. From Wikipedia:

It seems probable that the gland furnishes an internal secretion in children that inhibits the development of the reproductive glands since the invasion of the gland in children, by pathological growths which practically destroy the glandular tissue, results in accelerated development of the sexual organs, increased growth of the skeleton and precocious mentality.

With the onset of puberty, the gland shrinks. Some New Agers have linked this shrinkage with the loss of childhood psychic abilities in those who seem to be gifted.

Which leads me to the next question: is this why the Others took Walt? Because he's on the cusp of puberty, and they need to use him before he loses his specialness? Or, are they trying to inhibit his specialness? The quote above suggests that damage to the gland can result in early puberty, and if the new age theories are correct, a loss in psychic ability.
Perhaps a little too "pseudo-sciency" but interesting nonetheless...

todell: Brilliant! I completely missed it on tiberius, which moves so swiftly these days, it's hard to keep up. Anyway, I completely buy it. This is also consistent with my own speculation that the Others wanted Aaron first, and only took Walt when the former proved too powerful. Walt is much riskier because he's closer to puberty.

I love it!

:blush: Thanks, bigmouth.
And I don't really know what to do with this, but it is interesting in light of the fact that the island seems to be filled with philosophers: Descartes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descartes) was obsessed (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pineal-gland/#2.1) with the pineal gland. Physiologically, he got it pretty wrong; but Mr. "I think therefore I am" seemed to think that the pineal gland was the seat of the soul, and the center of all thought. Don't know what to make of this, but it seems like it could potentially be relevant, considering we've already got Locke and Rousseau galavanting about.

And a little off-topic:
It is claimed that during the 1640s Descartes travelled with an artificial female companion called Francine, named after his daughter. This may be a myth linked with his statements about the nature of the mind, or an early automaton, or Gynoid.
he seemed to be interested in artifical intelligence....

Very interesting theory/thread. Another light/Desmond reference - Locke asks Desmond about the artificial sunlight down in the hatch. He says "LOCKE: That simulated sunlight -- is that because you never leave? Is there another way out?" Not sure how this fits in, but it's another instance of light down there for Desmond. Also, been thinking of that seasonal light disorder some folks get in winter b/c of the lack of sunlight - Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a mood disorder associated with depression episodes and related to seasonal variations of light. Info on it including symptoms can be found at : http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/27.cfm. Craving sugar/starchy foods is one symbol.

WIF: Could very well be. If you'll recall, one of my original speculations (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=16188)was that humanity was enslaved long ago by some powerful psychic being. Perhaps a side effect of "sickness" is that it makes you more susceptible to such psychic slavery by dilating your mind's eye. At the very least, if I'm right, we now have a pretty clear link btw the "sickness" and religion/spirituality. And religion has been analogized to drugs (i.e., the opiate of the masses) which can cause addiction. Aside from being a leitmotif of the show, addiction is only one step removed from slavery...

Also, as I reported on the tiberius thread, research has revealed a strong link between EMF fields and pineal functioning:

Perhaps the electromagnetic energy in the Hatch also suppresses the "sickness"?

I read an article awhile back about how religous peoples brains differed from non religous people. That the difference in their brains is what made them more "susceptible" to being religious, and that 'faith' is actually a side effect of this difference. It made sense to me, since thinking about addiction and those who are more susceptible have different brains as those who are seemingly stronger willed.

Another interesting find re rTMS. According to posters on lost-tv, (http://p073.ezboard.com/flosttheunofficalforumfortheabcseriesfrm39.showMes sage?topicID=134.topic) Australia is a center for experiments in rTMS:
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Recently, in early 2002, researchers at the Centre of the Mind in Sydney, Australia successfully used TMS to increase creativity in a group of 17 volunteers. The team used brief, low-frequency signals to recreate the same "brain weather" observed in autistic savants (creative geniuses like Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man). Within 15 minutes, the subjects were drawing better than they ever could before. Further experiments could prove that anyone has the potential to become a creative genius with just the flick of a switch.

Pioneering TMS researcher Michael Persinger, a neuropsychologist at Canada's Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, is doing even more astounding work. By stimulating specific areas in the right hemisphere of the brain, he is able to induce mystical states of consciousness, giving some subjects the experience of encountering God.

In scientific terminology, he uses a specific, precisely timed, repetitive signal - one dubbed the "Thomas Pulse" - to create a "sensed presence" in the test subject's brain. Some volunteers have reported feelings of pleasant detachment, while others have broken into a panic, convinced the test chamber is "hexed". And some have had direct experience of the divine.

Persinger is convinced that naturally occurring electromagnetic fluctuations could be responsible for paranormal experiences like ghosts, UFOs and mystical apparitions. Some have argued, on the basis of Persinger's work, that religion itself could be electromagnetic in origin - and the transcendent experiences like those recounted by saints and mystics can be recreated with electromagnetic pulses in his laboratory.
Full text here (http://www.centreforthemind.com/whoweare/index.cfm).

Cool information bigmouth. I vaguely remember finding some stuff on the Thomas Pulse months ago. I need to read up some more on that. Anyways, did you notice those numbers? 17 volunteers that they're experimenting on. Aren't there like 16 or 18 main survivors? Perhaps they're using rTMS to experiment on our Lostaways.

Aside from being a leitmotif of the show, addiction is only one step removed from slavery...

Amen, brotha......:undecide:


Recall that Desmond's day are night are apparently the opposite of the island's. And one suggestion of this thread is that the Others are primarily active when it's dark. Perhaps then entry of the numbers is only necessary at night when the Others are active..

Last season it was noted that the survivors went through phases of irritability and even irrational behavior. Most of these times occured in in the daylight hours. By nightfall, the survivors were calmer and got along better with each other.

So are their pineal glands being affected by whatever is on the island, causing confusion and argumentative behavior during the day? Maybe the Others have accommodated this quirk by switching their working hours from day to night, but the survivors have not done this. They are still living like they did when they were at home - getting up in the morning, going to bed at night. Does this make them more susceptible to "psychic slavery"????

Thought of this thread again recently when I read about the mysteriously changing mural (http://www.cs.iastate.edu/~andorfc/iowa_mural.html) in the Hatch. Someone or something seems to be communicating with them through dreams, the clearest example being Locke and the beechcraft. Now, check out this quote from Lovecraft's Call of Cthulhu, which is about another mysterious island:
It was from the artists and poets that the pertinent answers came, and I know that panic would have broken loose had they been able to compare notes. As it was, lacking their original letters, I half suspected the compiler of having asked leading questions, or of having edited the correspondence in corroboration of what he had latently resolved to see. That is why I continued to feel that Wilcox, somehow cognizant of the old data which my uncle had possessed, had been imposing on the veteran scientist. These responses from esthetes told disturbing tale. From February 28 to April 2 a large proportion of them had dreamed very bizarre things, the intensity of the dreams being immeasurably the stronger during the period of the sculptor's delirium. Over a fourth of those who reported anything, reported scenes and half-sounds not unlike those which Wilcox had described; and some of the dreamers confessed acute fear of the gigantic nameless thing visible toward the last.
Compare that quote to the depictions of the mural, as well as art done by Michael, and by Claire's boyfriend. Notice that both men are artists, and that both use imagery strikingly similar to that in the Hatch Mural. Recall as well that Lovecraft believed the pineal gland to be a psychic "third eye."

Wow...OK that's all I've got right now. LOL.

WIF: Could very well be. If you'll recall, one of my original speculations (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=16188)was that humanity was enslaved long ago by some powerful psychic being. Perhaps a side effect of "sickness" is that it makes you more susceptible to such psychic slavery by dilating your mind's eye. At the very least, if I'm right, we now have a pretty clear link btw the "sickness" and religion/spirituality.
Maybe this is how we got the familiar terms "open mind", "open-minded" and "open your mind".

The 6th of the 7 Kundalini chakras is located at the third eye. Chakras are energy centers (or energy vortices) at various locations on the body, and there really are quite a few more than 7, but many belief systems recognize the main 7 Kundalini chakras. The color associated with the third eye chakra is indigo (hehe, yes, I said indigo). But that's probably where the term "indigo children" came from anyway, due to their psychic abilities. This might be common knowledge or already mentioned on the Tiberius thread, I don't know.

There's another connection to the third eye concept but I don't have any links for you yet.

Also, the red dot that many Indian people draw on their foreheads is related to the third eye...I'm just going from old memory but it's to open their third eye or enhance their ability to spiritually evolve. I should look this up first but instead I'll just issue a
disclaimer.

ETA: OK here is additional related info promised:

on Viking rune (Viking=Scandinavian=Norse), btw this rune appeared in the "NARVIK" clue on the bigspaceship1.com web site documented in Rebellious Rabbits thread....

http://www.llewellynencyclopedia.com/subjects.php?gen_sbj=Divination+and+Fortunetelling

Kenaz The sixth rune of the Elder Futhark, representing the letter K.

KENAZ symbolizes the element fire, it is the friendly, warm, controlled flame of the torch or the hearth fire.

Most interpret the meaning of the Kenaz rune as "torch," which has always been regarded as a symbol of knowledge.

My note: the rune is shaped like this < and represents a profile of an open eye.

"Pineal Gland is often referred to as the 'Third Eye'..." I found this interesting also, as it indicates something 'watching over' and it would fit in nicely with The Others being an all-knowing force, when it comes to the Island.

Plus, if it means light can affect them adversely, surely they'd need to avoid it..? Where could this be? Well, there's definately hiding places in the Island :) but.. what if it was underwater? I have a seperate theory in this forum that could be related to this. Having a place for The Others to remian underwater ties quite a bit together in the plot.

"Well, there's definately hiding places in the Island :) but.. what if it was underwater? I have a seperate theory in this forum that could be related to this. Having a place for The Others to remian underwater ties quite a bit together in the plot.
Wootty...also underground...some are speculating about tunnels, etc...Sayid tripped over something in the jungle shortly before Shannon bolted and was shot...some think the whispers are coming from the tunnels...but I think they are coming from the atmosphere and/or the Losties' minds (hearing)...

Which of your theories addresses the u/w? I don't see a new thread...

Tabby: Very interesting finds! I totally agree that this ties well into Tib's referenes to "indigo children." I suspect Walt and Aaron can manipulate electromagnetism using their mind's eye.

Wooty and Tabby: Totally agree. Ethan came from the water when he killed Steve (Scott?) and so did the Others who took Walt. But I'm not convinced the Others are all-knowing, or even the ones who brought them to the Island. I think it's more likely they're the survivors of the "incident."

Perhaps they were shielded somehow in an underwater bunker?

Tabby: Very interesting finds! I totally agree that this ties well into Tib's referenes to "indigo children." I suspect Walt and Aaron can manipulate electromagnetism using their mind's eye.

Wooty and Tabby: Totally agree. Ethan came from the water when he killed Steve (Scott?) and so did the Others who took Walt. But I'm not convinced the Others are all-knowing, or even the ones who brought them to the Island. I think it's more likely they're the survivors of the "incident."

Perhaps they were shielded somehow in an underwater bunker?

TabbyRasa/BigMouth, I've had my theory on an underwater bunker for a couple of days now - but I thought I'd posted it here?! Obviously I hadn't, but the one that I talked about in the post above can now be found here: http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?p=636082#post636082... You both sound like you have the same ideas.

Also, BigMouth, about Walt/Aaron controlling Electromagnetism, it's also covered in the link above (the first post in the thread)... ^^^

I'm not sure this belongs here, but every time I read the phrase 3rd eye, I am reminded of Revelations.

http://www.greaterthings.com/News/Chip_Implants/

" . . . and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
-- Revelation 13:15-17

I'm sure that's not where this theory is going, but it's interesting and I thought I'd share it.

Unlocked due to OP's request...

an eye opening thread, glad it was resurected.

I'm also glad this was resurrected. I'd read most of it before, but reviewing it was great fun, in light (pun intended) of reading the Hole in the Swan Window thread....

Oh and this is a great opportunity for me to ask what the heck OP stands for. I understand that it relates to who started the thread, but after pondering what the acronym could be, I just couldn't figure it out. :confused:

Laura: Original Poster or Original Post :wink1:

BM,

I was wondering where this thread went! Glad to have it back.

Okay, question. The pineal gland seems to have a psychic correlation, especially in children before reaching puberty. Do you think it's possible that the Others want children because, due to the pineal gland and the abilities it gives, they could better communicate with Smokey?

ETA: Doh! Forgot a question: Could the abilities brought about by the pineal gland impact Shannon and Sayid's ability to see Walt as well as Kate and Sawyer's ability to see the horse?

Laura: Original Poster or Original Post :wink1:

ooooo thanks, T!
I feel so enlightened. :biggrin:

Okay, question. The pineal gland seems to have a psychic correlation, especially in children before reaching puberty. Do you think it's possible that the Others want children because, due to the pineal gland and the abilities it gives, they could better communicate with Smokey?
JR: We're on the same wavelength, you and I! Timothy Leary once speculated that we're born with our mind's eye wide open, but that it closes as we age. Children are thus more susceptible to psychic phenomena. The Others may want kids to communicate with, or possibly even control, Smokey.
ETA: Doh! Forgot a question: Could the abilities brought about by the pineal gland impact Shannon and Sayid's ability to see Walt as well as Kate and Sawyer's ability to see the horse?
Bingo! I think these are symptoms of the "sickness," as are Jack's vision of his father, Locke and Charlie's dreams, and the whispers. All of these things are signs their minds' eyes have opened wide through exposure to electromagnetism.

JR: We're on the same wavelength, you and I! Timothy Leary once speculated that we're born with our mind's eye wide open, but that it closes as we age. Children are thus more susceptible to psychic phenomena. The Others may want kids to communicate with, or possibly even control, Smokey.

Okay, so possible plot point question: What happens when the children, who can possibly communicate with Smokey and probably control him, decide to turn on the Others?

Bingo! I think these are symptoms of the "sickness," as are Jack's vision of his father, Locke and Charlie's dreams, and the whispers. All of these things are signs their minds' eyes have opened wide through exposure to electromagnetism.

One addition, Claire's dreams as well. Not only that, but I think she would be susceptible due ot her astrology/numerology beliefs.

Alteration of the pineal gland - and promotion of cancer - is associated with constant exposure to a magnetic field: rail workers being the prime example.

Hey, bigmouth!
Just reading the thread and really enjoying your thoughts.

specific, precisely timed, repetitive signal - one dubbed the "Thomas Pulse"

Maybe the numbers themselves are not as important as their repetition? (Being transmitted over and over...]

Jaybird: Thanks! I think you're right that the act of entering the numbers repetetively has independent significance. On one level, it trains occupants to obey a pointless order command solely on faith. Even more fundamentally, the countdown, injections, and quarantine keep occupants close to the Hatch and exposed to the magnetic field therein.

Such exposure stimulates the pineal to secrete DMT, creating feelings of dissociation, allowing their brains to approach a bicameral state. The injections may even be a sedative of some sort to facilitate this process. The goal is to prime occupants for mental programming that will enhance their strength and senses, and (most importantly) render them obedient.

I also think the pineal (or third eye) may act like an internet connection to other minds on the Island. This may be how the aforementioned mental programming takes place. Perhaps stimulation fattens the pipe, so to speak...

bigmouth: the "Lockdown" epi blast door map and its reflection in Locke's eye could be a clue. I'm sure that Locke thinks The Island was giving him a gift and showing a secret only to him...with the sacrifice being the injury to his right thigh. (Locke has said that the Island will give you something but it expects something in return...paraphrasing).

If the black/blue light and eye reflection were not just very cool dramatic and artistic effects, maybe they support your theory. Maybe the reason Locke could see the map is because the Island has opened his third eye...stimulated his pineal gland.

Tabby: I agree -- it's definitely a clue. I actually think we've finally seen what happens when the code isn't entered. This is the next step in Locke's programming and indoctrination into what remains of Dharma. I think Henry decided that Locke was ready to graduate from the Hatch, much like Henry himself may have done in the past.

From the Tiberius thread...it's relevant here too:

Something to add to the recent discussion on "bright light"...from the newly released LOST Experience, thehansofoundation.org (http://thehansofoundation.org/), one of the active projects is the Mental Health Appeal. Here is a quote from that project:

A society should not merely be measured by its brightest lights, but on how the brightest light the way for those who cannot shine for themselves.
Alvar Hanso


I like the different uses of the English language in the phrase "brightest light".

It's also a little scary if you think of vulnerable people possibly being misused/harmed by those brightest who are lighting the way for them (if their motivation is not for the good of those in their care).