Timeline/Theories

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Theories about Timeline

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Theories may be removed if ...

Stated as questions or possibilities (avoid question marks, "Maybe", "I think", etc). More appropriate for another article. Illogical or previously disproven. Proven by canon source, and moved to main article. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead). This does not include responses that can stand alone as its own theory. Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response. See the Lostpedia theory policy for more details.

The Island's timeline

Based on Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof's Entertainment Weekly interview, a number of mysteries are very much connected to the Island's timeline.

So far, a number of possible interpretations can be made about the Island' timeline, including:

• It is of a slower nature compared to the normal timeline outside the Island. This may explain a number of phenomenons, including the healing symptoms Rose has experienced, due to a possible slowing in the growth rate of her cancer.
  • This makes no sense. Slowing down the growth rate of her cancer would not make her better. She wouldn't get sicker, but she wouldn't get better.
• It is faster than the timeline outside the Island, which may explain the womb CT sequence of the 26 year old woman, which Juliet judged to be of a barren woman in her 70s.
  • However, this would make it hard to explain how Ben could have known about the death of Christopher Reeve or how he could have footage of the Red Sox winning the World Series.
• Both theories above (slower and faster timeline) don't make any sense. The date on the Island must be the same date as on the outside world. Otherwise, the date of the plane crash (September 22nd 2004) couldn't be equal on the Island and on the outside world, as stated many times by Desmond, Ben and the Losties (Live Together, Die Alone, A Tale of Two Cities).
• According to the same Entertainment Weekly interview with Damon and Carlton referenced at the top of this section: "We know that the Others taped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2004... so that would seem to indicate that time flows the same both on and off. But then again, when the sky turns purple and the ground shakes... wait. Hold on. Carlton is wringing my neck." It seems that the date the plane crashed was the same date on the island. But it could have changed after Desmond didn't push the button.
• It is folded, in a circuler form, which would enable the survivors to encounter objects from both the past and the future, as well as their percieved present time. Among the mysteries that may be explained by this is Adam and Eve.
  • However, these theories are yet to be proved through the show events. The interview also hints that an anagram was given in Not in Portland, which relates to the timeline mystery.
• The Mittelos logo looks like the symbol for infinity or the snake which bites its on tail.

Shows Time line

• An issue has been bothering me regarding the post island timeline. Through the looking glass appears to take place atleast 3 years in the future. How can the show maintain its day to day on island timeline and at the same time, tie in the Oceanic 6? Especially since it is alluded to that Jack goes back to the island. My theory is that when locke moves the island it goes 4 years into the future. Post looking glass jack, with the beard, finds his way back to the island after being off for years, but to the people on the island he has only been gone a day or so.