Secret Symbolism of LOST

It had to happen sooner or later. :-)

Did anyone see the episode of LOST last night?

(SPOILER ALERT)

As a Freemason I was especially intrigued to see the chick leading the two boys, blindfolded, to the cave and taking their blindfolds off to see the "light".

Of course the black and white symbolism has played out for a long time, but there were some really interesting secret-society related themes on the show last night.

For those in York Rite I think the libation in the pewter cup would be interesting also.

We spend so much time on serious topics in this forum I thought it would be interesting to take a light-hearted look at popular culture and where you think LOST is going, and whether you think there are occult messages there.

I sort of get the Cain and Abel or Adam and Eve them, but I don't understand how the one dude became the smoke monster when Jacob threw him into the light cave.

The way he was killed was interesting also.

Thoughts?

I went back to watch the whole thing again, season by season... even in the first season, there are so many hints.

This show is brilliantly written. The way John Locke was 'killed' was that the smoke monster posed as Jack's father in the cabin and told John to move the island. Then 'John' (smoke monster) went to John via Richard, when he was in the future for a moment, and had Richard tell John he had to die to save everyone.

So the smoke monster now had a body. He had to have John Locke's body for a reason... that reason I don't know yet. But he could have had any body that had died there, but he chose John's.

I'd go on, but I am at work and I must now focus on boring a$$ spreadsheets and analyses... eeeewwwwwww

The only thing I am 100% sure of is this-

When the man-in-black is finally named, we will reconise the name either from the show or from some mythology.

Its the only reason they would be slyly keeping his name from us viewers all this time.


I also assume the smoke monster is "nano technology", so I am assuming somehow he was transported to a future (been calling this since the first episode showing the smoke monster).

It floats, it powers itself with a pulsing current throughout its particles, it enters bodies and heals people (I personally think), it can morph to form other bodies and it retains information taken from the dead.

these are all things nano technology does in plenty of sci-fi stories of both books and film.

But mark my words...the reason they keep dodging the man-in-back's name is because it will ring a bell and give away too much too soon.

You can star that as FACT.

Unless I'm wrong...but I've never been wrong (well once, but that was in a flash-sideways, and that don't really count).

PS- Can't wait for it to end. It is one of the only two shows I watch...after it is over, only Doctor Who will play on my TV and nothing else ever again.



[edit on 12-5-2010 by Mr Mask]

Don't forget the similarity in character names to famous philosophers and scientists.

Originally posted by DARKCYDE_CROWLEY
Don't forget the similarity in character names to famous philosophers and scientists.

There are too many to note!

ALSO-

Almost forgot to stay on topic and say-

Yes, now that you mention it...the whole blindfolded boys brought to a light does remind me of what I hear is a Masonic ritual or rite.

Good eye...

I wouldn't put it past them to hide something like that in LOST.

And I agree with the other poster who said- brilliant writing!

Though not a Mason, I am a complete and utter "Lostie" and if I might stick my head in for a minute I have a few theories to throw around. I can take no credit on my own for them, but I do often hang out on various Lost fan sites and as of last night's episode this seems to be the prevailing theory.

ESAU-this one has been around for a while and seems the most probable of names. Some might recall the story of Jacob and Esau in the Bible-here is a terrific link containing great detail:

www.jcpa.org...

Basically the two TWIN sons of Issac and Rebekkah, Esau was the eldest and born first however. Jacob tricked Esau into selling his birthright (leadership) and then with the help of Rebekkah tricked Issac into blessing him to become the next leader. Esau and Issac then find out what had happened and Issac says to Esau:

"You will not have the richness of the earth,
The dew from heaven won’t be given to you.
You will have to live by taking,
and you will serve your brother.
But one day you will break free.”

Hmm...leave the Island?????

He then threatens to kill Jacob (i.e as we have seen in one of MIB-Jacob scenes "Do you have any idea how much I want to kill you?")

Jacob and Esau were both very flawed and hardly one is "good" or "evil"......but they NEED each other a.k.a
ying and yang
black and white
god and satan

etc. etc. etc.

and one was given the "birthright" of protecting the Island like last night- when Jacob got it though the mother preferred Esau somewhat-

However, in the Bible they end up buddies.

So we'll see....

reply to post by emsed1


I can't believe I'm saying this, brother, but the Looking-Glass station was a cable-tow's length from shore...

I do have a question though as to the exact definition of the Checkerboard floor in Masonry.......
The place where you meet God?

Besides the MIB and Jacob playing what seems to be checkers...we have the season six promo....



[edit on 12-5-2010 by awake_awoke]

Originally posted by awake_awoke
I do have a question though as to the exact definition of the Checkerboard floor in Masonry.......

Assorted writings on the checkered pavement:

The Mosaic Pavement is a representation of the ground-floor of King Solomon's Temple...

The Mosaic Pavement is emblematical of human life, checkered with good and evil...

As the steps of man are tried in the various and uncertain incidents of life; as our days are checkered with a strange contrariety of events, and our passage through this existence, though sometimes attended with prosperous circumstances, is often beset by a multitude of evils; hence is the Lodge furnished with Mosaic work, to remind us of the precariousness of our state on earth: to-day, our feet tread in prosperity; to-morrow, we totter on the uneven paths of weakness, temptation, and adversity. While this emblem is before us, we are instructed to boast of nothing; to have compassion, and give aid to those who are in adversity; to walk uprightly, and with humility; for such is this existence, that there is no station in which pride can be stably founded: all men, in birth and in the grave, are on a level. While we tread on this Mosaic work, let our ideas return to the original, which it copies; and let every Freemason act as the dictates of reason prompt him to live in brotherly love.*

The pavement, alternately black and white, symbolizes, whether so intended or not, the Good and Evil Principles of the Egyptian and Persian creed. It is the warfare of Michael and Satan, of the Gods and Titans, of Balder and Lok; between light and shadow, which is darkness; Day and Night; Freedom and Despotism; Religious Liberty and the Arbitrary Dogmas of a Church that thinks for its votaries, and whose Pontiff claims to be infallible, and the decretals of its Councils to constitute a gospel.*

Mosaic or chequered pavement represents this world, which, though chequered over with good and evil, yet brethren may walk together thereon and not stumble...*

The Floor, or groundwork of the Lodge, a chequer-work of black and white squares, denotes the dual quality of everything connected with terrestrial life and the physical groundwork of human nature—the mortal body and its appetites and affections. "The web of our life is a mingled yarn, good and ill together," wrote Shakespeare. Everything material is characterized by inextricably interblended good and evil, light and shade, joy and sorrow, positive and negative. What is good for me may be evil for you; pleasure is generated from pain and ultimately degenerates into pain again; what it is right to do at one moment may be wrong the next; I am intellectually exalted to-day and to-morrow correspondingly depressed and benighted. The dualism of these opposites governs us in everything, and experience of it is prescribed for us until such time as, having learned and outgrown its lesson, we are ready for advancement to a condition where we outgrow the sense of this chequer-work existence and those opposites cease to be perceived as opposites, but are realized as a unity or synthesis. To find that unity or synthesis is to know the peace which passes understanding—i.e. which surpasses our present experience, because in it the darkness and the light are both alike, and our present concepts of good and evil, joy and pain, are transcended and found sublimated in a condition combining both. And this lofty condition is represented by the indented or tesselated border skirting the black and white chequer-work, even as the Divine Presence and Providence surrounds and embraces our temporal organisms in which those opposites are inherent.

Why is the chequer floor-work given such prominence in the Lodge-furniture? The answer is to be found in the statement in the Third Degree Ritual: "The square pavement is for the High Priest to walk upon." Now it is not merely the Jewish High Priest of centuries ago that is here referred to, but the individual member of the Craft. For every Mason is intended to be the High Priest of his own personal temple and to make of it a place where he and Deity may meet. By the mere fact of being in this dualistic world every living being, whether a Mason or not, walks upon the square pavement of mingled good and evil in every action of his life, so that the floor-cloth is the symbol of an elementary philosophical truth common to us all. But, for us, the words "walk upon" imply much more than that. They mean that he who aspires to be master of his fate and captain of his soul must walk upon these opposites in the sense of transcending and dominating them, of trampling upon his lower sensual nature and keeping it beneath his feet in subjection and control. He must become able to rise above the motley of good and evil, to be superior and indifferent to the ups and downs of fortune, the attractions and fears governing ordinary men and swaying their thoughts and actions this way or that. His object is the development of his innate spiritual potencies, and it is impossible that these should develop so long as he is over-ruled by his material tendencies and the fluctuating emotions of pleasure and pain that they give birth to. It is by rising superior to these and attaining serenity and mental equilibrium under any circumstances in which for the moment he may be placed, that a Mason truly "walks upon" the chequered groundwork of existence and the conflicting tendencies of his more material nature.*

I know you asked for an "exact definition", but as with all symbols, I can only offer you an assortment of various individuals' interpretations.

Originally posted by Mr Mask
The only thing I am 100% sure of is this-

When the man-in-black is finally named, we will reconise the name either from the show or from some mythology.

I agree, and will make a guess that he will be called Esau (from the twins Jacob and Esau in the book of Genesis).

Also, did anybody catch that the mother's name was Claudia? Claudia was the mother of the twins Romulus and Remus in Roman mythology.

reply to post by Masonic Light


Rhea Silvia was Romulus and Remus' mother, not Claudia.

Claudia was a vestal virgin though...

Claudia in the Bible was the mother of Linus....
(hmmm..Benjamin Linus?)

However, on the subject of Romulus and Remus....
The knife, you know the one MIB used to stab his mother, as well as later given to Richard to stab Jacob or used to stab Dogon etc.
On the side of it can you guess what there is....

The she-wolf (mother?) suckling Romulus and Remus.

[edit on 12-5-2010 by awake_awoke]

Originally posted by awake_awoke


Rhea Silvia was Romulus and Remus' mother, not Claudia.

You're right, my bad!

Maybe they should have named that character Rebecca.....

Originally posted by blujay
I went back to watch the whole thing again, season by season... even in the first season, there are so many hints.

This show is brilliantly written. The way John Locke was 'killed' was that the smoke monster posed as Jack's father in the cabin and told John to move the island. Then 'John' (smoke monster) went to John via Richard, when he was in the future for a moment, and had Richard tell John he had to die to save everyone.

So the smoke monster now had a body. He had to have John Locke's body for a reason... that reason I don't know yet. But he could have had any body that had died there, but he chose John's.

I'd go on, but I am at work and I must now focus on boring a$$ spreadsheets and analyses... eeeewwwwwww

want to know something analogical to this show?

Here look at this pic:



Now John Locke had to die so that everyone can be saved, right?

Jesus died on the cross so that everyone was saved from sin.

Now John Locke is the evil "black smoke" who is trying to get off the island...

Think about the times we are in now and the "second coming" of Christ.

The rest is up to you to figure out....because we do not know how the show ends, yet.

reply to post by adkchamp


Boy, that's some photograph!! I haven't seen it before, where did you find it?

I'm on the same page as you .. and all the other posters... I go all over the place with it. I also go metaphysical with it. It's just so much fun.

reply to post by blujay


It was the promotional picture for season 6...google Lost and last supper and you will find it.

I knew I should have watched this show. Hmm, final episode to air May 23, still time to watch the entire series online. Get ya popcorn ready...

reply to post by Mr Mask


I'll call you out on that. Jacob's brothers name will not be revealed, I think it will be kept this way to symbolize the anonymity of the evil life force (smokey). We were discussing these things in the LOST thread in BTS in a lot more detail.

Partial copy/paste from other thread:

* We are left with the possibility that the evil life force (black smoke) existed before Jacobs brother was thrown into the lake as it is pretty clear in my opinion, that when their real mother appeared to MIB she was that evil force and pretty much set him on a journey which would eventually set the evil free.

* Was it Gazrok who asked how is it that MIB's body was buried and his corpse is clearly there when we see him appear later? That's very simple. It is the evil life force using Jacob's brothers body to manipulate him, it is the only theory that makes sense. It also explains why there is no brotherly bond between the two in the future, Jacob shows affection towards his brother even up until the time he is 'burying' him, while in the future it is quite obvious from their conversations that Jacob knows it isn't really his brother. This supports the theory in the previous post, the evil life force used their real mothers body to help Jacob's brother get it to escape. This evil life force can only inhibit the dead... Jacob's real mother, Jacob's brother, Christian and finally John Locke. Further, just how the evil life force used Locke's appearance even though his body was clearly dead, it uses Jacob's brothers appearance even though his body is clearly dead. It makes perfect sense, Jacob's brother and the evil life force are NOT one in the same.

...

As for MIB's name. Personally, I don't think the producers will ever actually reveal it and here's why. His anonymity is important, its symbolic of the passive spiritual possessiveness of the evil life force (smokey). The evil life force inhibits everyone from his fake mother (not confirmed) to John Locke. You can't give something like that a permanent identity. I think the fact that the first persona we as viewers so far have been shown, to have been inhibited by this life force was Jacob's brother, the relationship is there, however temporary. For that reason, and for no other reason can I think of why they won't or have not revealed his name so far. Keep in mind though, his fake mother was never actually shown giving him a name, Jacob never calls him by a name... is it a stretch to conclude that he has no name? I prefer to go with the symbolism of anonymity.

OP, I agree with you about the 'ritual-esque' feel of the scene where they were blindfolded and lead to the light. I'm not sure how it works in Freemasonry, but here's what I think the ritual, at least in Lost, was meant to symbolize.

The fact that they were lead blindfolded to the light is symbolic of the fact that they will never be shown the how, the why, the when, they will only be shown what is. It's the whole secrecy element, you are not meant to understand why things are as that right belongs only to God? Thoughts?

I never watched a single episode of Lost, and thanks to my fellow masons posting I now have another show to pay attention to. I am limited in time, so I may have to stop watching something else...ahhh, the sacrafice

reply to post by adkchamp


Oh, well that's what I get for not watching much tv or reading those LOST articles on the newsstand! I never wanted to know about the actors' 'real' personalities ... I didn't want to mess up the perfect characters!

I looked up some stuff about Esau also after that episode and it was interesting.

What about Cain/Abel/Seth?

There was a very interesting show last night on History called "Apocalypse Island" where an archaeologist has found (his belief) a 150 foot tall Mayan monument on Juan Fernandez island 400 miles west of Chile.

It is 1000 miles from the Mayan Empire but the monument lines up with the final solar eclipse on the Mayan Calendar in 2012... (ok breathe... breathe..)

I'm not sure if I buy it, it just looks like rocks to me though.

One thing I did find interesting, though, was the "Smoke Serpent" which was a method Mayans used to communicate with dead ancestors. It reminded me of the smoke monster on Lost.

I hated that stupid show for the first 2 or 3 years. My wife kept talking about it, though and I really started watching it when they figured out the whole electromagnetic time-travel doohicky.

I'm guessing the man in black will turn out to be named Lucius or Lucifer or some such...