The Wheel: My Lost Theory

I’ve finally formulated a theory on what will be revealed at the end of Lost, and I haven’t seen this idea elsewhere so I’ll post it and let the net assimilate it, chew it over, and spit it out. If you aren’t caught up with the series, don’t read any farther!

The wheel is a very prominent symbol in Buddhism. It can refer to the wheel of life or samsara in which beings are born, die and are reborn according to their deeds. Samsara consists of six realms which are depicted as segments within the wheel. The wheel can also represent the Buddha’s teachings and particularly the eightfold path. Such wheels are normally depicted with eight spokes, each spoke signifying one of the eight factors that comprise the noble eightfold path.

The Dharma Project is a huge social experiment to force evolution in a civilization. It has been ongoing for centuries in one form or another. At the current time, Dharma appears to be extinct, destroyed by “The Others” on the Island. However, food drops are still happening, which would indicate that there is still Dharma infrastructure in operation outside the Island.

One of the recurring themes of the series is personal evolution, people becoming something other than what they were. Sometimes this is good: Lock regaining the use of his legs and becoming the adventurer he always dreamed of being, Charlie changing from a selfish drug addict to a man who would sacrifice himself for someone he loves. Sometimes these changes are bad: Jack (in a flashforward) becoming a drunk and irresponsible man like his father. More evolution is yet to come — now that Sawyer has dispatched the con man whose name he adopted, his mission is complete… but who will he become now?

Ben, the leader of the Others, seems to be losing his power over that group in his own personal evolution, leaving a power vacuum. Who will step into that role, and will it be one of the 815 survivors? Jack? Locke?

Other recurring themes of the series point toward good and bad, black and white, yin and yang. I believe that the people on the island are each in a journey from one to the other; mostly from good to bad. One can surmise that Ben went from good to bad when he joined “the hostiles” against Dharma. Could, say, Jack or Locke be next to make the transition? And if so, how many times has this happened?

Here’s the theory. The Dharma Project is seeding the island with groups and pitting them against each other by using stimuli such as the polar bear and the smoke monster; provoking violence and enmity until the “good” group begins to turn bad. They have been running this experiment for decades or centuries, and each time one group destroys another the Dharma Project sends a new group to begin the cycle again — the Black Rock, the drug plane, Amelia Earhart, the new ship contacted in this year’s finale. Like the wheel of Buddhist philosophy — which is reflected in the Dharma logos — each cycle brings them closer to enlightenment, each time it becomes more difficult to force people to become evil. Eventually, through this crucible, they will be left with a civilization of people who are good.

What do you think?