Ultimate Theory Revised (Part 2)

Original Ultimate Theory
Expanded Ultimate Theory

Ultimate Theory Revised (Part 1)

Part 2: Collective Consciousness

Andrew Smith described the Collective Consciousness as:

...a group of scientists with their noggins hooked up to wires... in the hatch... behind the concrete... With the technology hinted at in the Orientation film (and Hurley's comic), these scientists are able to remotely - via electromagnetism - control objects, such as cars, galleons, planes, lottery balls, and also induce vision in minds of a weakened state, such as those that are drunk, drugged, exhausted, or sick.

This main thrust of the Collective Consciousness (hereafter referred to as "the CC") is simply that there is a group of people behind the scenes controlling everything. Andrew thought that they were in the hatch (this has never been disproved, but I have my doubts). More likely, the CC is roaming the earth, controlling everything. In fact, we have actually seen a member of the CC, Ms. Hawking.

Ms. Hawking knows things that she shouldn't, things that normal people don't know. She knows Desmond's name. She knows the future. She even knows what the future could be if people choose to do things differently. ("And if you don't do those things... every single one of us will die.") She also seems to know that Desmond has gone back in time. Ms. Hawking seems to be outside of the normal time constraints that bind the world. This only makes sense, for "Only fools are enslaved by time and space."

The CC is the entire reason that our Losties are on the Island. Now, I know that it can be truly said that the plane crashed because Desmond missed the button, but that's not the only force the caused the plane to crash. Something kept them alive; something made sure that there were no hair brushes on the plane; something brought the Losties to the Island. The fact that there is a viable scientific answer to the question doesn't mean that all other answers are ruled out. (The Pearl was monitoring the Swan, but the Swan's button was still real.)

In fact, this reveals the heart of many of the show's themes. Here we find that science finds its fulfillment in faith, and faith finds its fulfillment in science. The same can truly be said with black and white, fate and free will, life and death, dreams and reality, etc. Each dichotomy is resolved only when one sees each pair of views to be two sides of the same coin.

Soon to come: Part 3 "The Losties"