Here is a little something I have been pondering...

It came up when trying to figure out what the DHARMA acronym might mean. A few of us think that,

DeGroot
Hanso
Artificial
Reality
Manipulation
Assessment

could be plausable, (or something similar) so this theory naturally stems from there.

To the point: Suppose the flashbacks are really just shown to us to throw us off. Explanation is warrented. Lets say the "?" in the center of the island (as seen on the blast doors) with the big tower Rousseau saw is the heart of the "experiment". It has the power to transmit false memories to individuals, in essence, brainwash.
Suppose for a moment that the "losties" are actually volunteer Dharma employees/test subjects. They are the experimental group. The others, therfore, who we know are fully cognisent of their situation since they use stage make-up and costumes, must be the control group, whose memories have not been erased.
The losties, DHArma volunteers, had all of their previous memories erased, their whole lives, and DHARMA is feeding them tidbits of their new identity. Ever find it odd how EVERYTIME there is a flashback, it is preceeded and concluded with a "rushing" sound? Maybe more than simply stylistic.
This theory therefore purports that the plane crash was staged, the losties volunteered for this social experiment (Perhaps to see if a group of strangers would come together and form a utopian economy without capitalism, ie. Marx... etc.) and that their memories are being manipulated by DHARMA.

Thoughts?