As for the claim that Richard and most of the Others didn’t travel through time, there’s one simple part: there’s no proof they didn’t…only enough for us to know that they were not there when Locke disappeared…so a major likelihood, yes, but no guarantee.

This theory, though, has nothing to do with politics, and he presents it as Grand Unifying Theory. Check it out, please:

The Grand Unifying Theory about the Monster, the infection, The Black Rock, the black rocks, Locke’s spinal recovery, Locke’s weather predictions, the strange visions, the psychic powers, the time-travel, the vaccine, the unexplained rashes, and more

The following theory is scruffy and imperfect, but I have a strong hunch it’s on the right track.

Black rock

The Black Rock – a mining vessel – was named after the black rocks abundant on the island. These rocks are the same “non-metallic minerals” that Ben refers to while pretending to be Henry Gale.

The island’s black rocks possess a unique property: Although non-metallic, they are extremely sensitive to certain electro-magnetic (EM) fields – such as the EM fields affecting the island, and the EM fields created by the human central-nervous-system.

If black rock is ground into a fine particulate – whether by natural erosion or by deliberate human action – it can have a variety of environmental, physiological, and psychological effects.

Environmental effects of black rock particles

If released into the atmosphere, black rock particles can “seed” clouds and influence rainfall patterns.

Physiological effects of black rock particles

If ingested – typically via inhalation – black rock particles will be attracted to the electromagnetic fields of the subject’s central-nervous-system, and will “infect” the subject’s brain, spine, and nerves. When the now-charged particles encounter a break in the subject’s nervous system, they travel across it, thereby carrying nerve impulses across damaged areas and restoring nerve-functioning in subjects with spinal injuries. (Note: This is what occurred in the case of Locke, who had his spinal injury cured after he became “infected” by the particle-rich air of the island. It’s also what happened in the case of Jack’s future wife, whom I think Jack’s father secretly infected with black rock particles, in an effort to bring Jack some happiness.)

In rare instances, particle-infection is accompanied by a mild skin rash and fever, lasting only a few days. (Note: Known cases of such symptoms include the rash Sullivan reports to Jack during the golf game, and the fever and rash that Aaron displays not long after his birth.)

Typically, infected subjects are unaware that they have been infected by the black rock particles. This is in large part because the airborne particles are in too low a concentration for the subjects to notice them.

Note that, except in special cases, anyone who breathes the island’s air becomes infected with black rock particles. In other words, ALL OF THE CASTAWAYS HAVE BECOME INFECTED.

Psychological effects of black rock particles

When in the brain, the black rock particles make the subject a powerful transmitter and receiver of electromagnetic information. As a result, infected subjects gain a limited ability to read and influence one another’s thoughts. However, the infected subjects are typically unaware they have this ability, and as such find themselves confused when they experience strange dreams and visions that contain information unknown to the subject but known to others (for example, when Eko dreamed about Ana’s death as it happened).

(Note: The castways didn’t become infected until they arrived on the island, but they remained infected even after they left. This is why they didn’t see strange visions before they went to the island, but see strange visions on the island, and also after they have returned to the outside world.)

Special Effects

Some infected persons may find that their internal particles are sensitive to the black rock particles in the atmosphere; in such cases, an infected subject may find him- or herself able to predict the rainfall patterns of clouds seeded with black rock particles (as in the case of Locke).

In other cases, infected persons may become considerably sensitive to the electromagnetic fields that govern one’s position in time and space. In these special cases, persons may experience their consciousness moving through time in an atypical manner (as in the case of Desmond), or, in rare instances, find themselves physically moving through time and space (as in the case of Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, Jin, Faraday, Charlotte, and Locke, after the island shifts).

(Note that, because the infected person is radiating an EM field, a time-travelling infected person can carry with them any items within the vicinity of their personal EM field.)

Additionally, it is possible for some infected subjects to access artifacts of previously strong EM fields; for example, some infected subjects may find themselves able to detect the lingering electromagnetic patterns of thoughts held by persons now deceased (as in the case of Miles).

Particle Clouds

Although airborne particles are usually not in sufficient enough concentration to be seen by the naked eye, they can sometimes cluster together in densely-concentrated clouds. Such a cloud (referred to by the castaways as a “monster”) will move in a fashion suggestive of it having consciousness. In fact, the cloud is not conscious in any human sense. It only appears to be self-directed because it is responding to nearby electromagnetic fields (in the same way that a pile of iron filings moves in response to the pull of nearby magnets). Specifically, the cloud is responding to the electromagnetic fields of human thought patterns, both those of people presently on the island, and those of people who have been on the island in the past. (Note: These past thought-patterns have been “recorded” into both the particles in the cloud and the rocks of the island). As such, the cloud behaves according to the collective will of the island’s inhabitants, both past and present, living and dead; however, the cloud is most sensitive to the thought-patterns of people nearest to it, or to those of people (or groups of people) holding particularly powerful thoughts.

Even though individuals can exert conscious influence over the cloud, such influence is limited by the cloud being simultaneously influenced by the thoughts of other islanders – both living and dead – and by the cloud responding not just to one’s conscious thoughts, but also to one’s unconscious thoughts, which may be unknown to the person thinking them.

Most – if not all – of the islanders believe the cloud to be a sentient being, and not a reflection of the islanders’ collective thoughts.

Immunity

The vaccine provides a subject with temporary immunity from the effects of the infection.

(Note: That is why, after he takes the vaccine to prove it safe to give to Aaron, Charlie does not experience the bright light and loud noise that accompany the implosion of the Swan Station. It is likely that the light and sound did not exist in the real-world, but only in the minds of infected persons, as a result of the sudden discharge of EM energy overwhelming the black rock particles in their brains. Because Charlie was immune to the infection at that time, he did not experience the perceptual symptoms of light and noise that were experienced by his non-vaccinated companions.)

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Okay, so that was the crash course in the infection/monster theory. So far, the theory’s holding up okay, but we’ll have to see what happens as new information emerges. If you have questions or criticisms, let me know and I’ll adjust the theory as necessary.

Until next time, take care, everyone!

P.S. Walt appears to have been infected before the crash, sometime in his early childhood. That’s why birds fly into windows when he’s around — the electromagnetic particles in his body and brain are throwing off the birds’ navigation systems, which are sensitive to electromagnetic fields.

P.P.S. Ben and (at least) some passengers of Flight 316 are infected too (as evidenced by them perceiving a bright light and loud noise when the Swan imploded).

P.P.P.S. Richard (E.N: and most of the Others, except Juliet), however, does NOT appear to be infected, as he failed to travel through time when the island moved.

from lostbutfound.typepad.com

Not that I think that that’s where it’s heading. Quite the contrary – I think we’re heading for a dramatic and satisfying conclusion.

And for the record, Damon and Carlton have said that the other ARG’s, like Find 815 for instance, are NON canonical. They were written by people from marketing firms and any information in them should not be considered part of the real mythology. And now you know!

Damon Lindelof: “I would say in terms of all the… background that we did, in terms of the Valenzetti equation and explaining the formation of the Hanso Foundation and doing the other films…we’d consider that stuff canon to the show.”

So I still stand 100% behind what I said. Valenzetti is definitely part of the story.