It's About Time!

No question time is a key ingredient in the Lost DNA. I believe the show is starting to reveal alternate futures, based on how key decisions are made by our Losties.

Consider the following:

Naomi and Locke's dad both said the passengers from Oceanic 815 were dead - did they arrive from a different future where the Losties actually were dead?

Jack refers to his Golden Ticket from Oceanic airlines, but their website OCEANIC AIRLINES : ALL FLIGHTS CANCELLED : OCEANIC AIRLINES says the company regrets closing their doors after 25 years of service. Did they return to an alternate future where Oceanic is still in operation?

If so, did Jack and Kate return to said alternate future whereby Jack's dad AND Kate's stepdad are still alive? Would explain Jack's references to his dad, Kate's not being hauled away by the FBI, and Jack's comment about lying (to avoid revealing their actual past differs from their current present/future).

If so, did Desmond's altering of events (in his "dream" and on the island) create the alternate future the Losties return to?

Not a specific theory, per se, but hopefully some thought starters!

More thoughts:

From what I understand, The Lost Experience explained the numbers (4,8,15,16,23,42) are related to the extinction of the human race and Dharma is working to manipulate that and save us all.

Could the Losties be key players in future events, who are being kept on the island until key events are worked out in an alternate past that will allow them to return to a different future where they will be enabled to do certain things to prevent said extinction?

And could the work on the alternate future still be in progress, leading Ben Linus to warn them they will all certainly die if Jack makes the phone call?

Which could mean the people on the ship aren't devious and won't kill the Islanders - they only want to help. But the correct alternate future isn't ready yet, it's only partially completed. And because it's only partially completed, they will all surely die because they can only do what is required to prevent human extinction if they return to the fully-completed alternate future!

Which is why certain things in Flash Forwards will be different from the past left behind by the Losties, but also why Jack knows he needs to return to the Island - so the work on the alternate future can be completed!

Whew!

Good post and thoughts, and I believe this may be the case, and I think so because of the Lost Experience, or, an ALTERNATE REALITY Game. One didn't need to do the Lost Experience, but I think it helped shed some light on the whole story from another perspective not involved with the actual show.
I didn't participate, but i read the details, and one can look them up on wikipedia. However, there is a character named Rachel Blake, who is the daughter of Dharma main investor, Alvar Hanso, and the Experience follows the rich daughter of a rich guy involved with the island, and her investigation to uncover the mysteries. Short version!
Well, all this seems to point to another daughter of another rich guy who is most likely following her own path to discover the mysteries of the island, though she is more invested because of her sick obseesion with a drunken scotsman. I think we can all agree Penny's father Mr. Widmore is heavily invested in the island as well, so one can make the assumption that Penny on the show is Blake from the Lost Experience. This is my belief anyway, hence, you didn't need to follow the Experience, because it is happening through another set of characters ON the show.
Now that Charlie is gone, will Desmond's flashes be useful to another character, or set of characters. We assumed that by changing Charlie's FATE for a bit, it may have changed the future, so hopefully, with Demonds knowledge of the fake Penny boat offshore, and his future seeing ability, he can point the losties in the right direction.

i believe we will be back on the island for season 4, and the path now will be to stop whatever is going to happen that makes the bleak future of Jack's. Sorry if this seems off your topic a bit Styler, but I think it relates.

Quote:

Naomi and Locke's dad both said the passengers from Oceanic 815 were dead - did they arrive from a different future where the Losties actually were dead?

Jack refers to his Golden Ticket from Oceanic airlines, but their website OCEANIC AIRLINES : ALL FLIGHTS CANCELLED : OCEANIC AIRLINES says the company regrets closing their doors after 25 years of service. Did they return to an alternate future where Oceanic is still in operation?

If so, did Jack and Kate return to said alternate future whereby Jack's dad AND Kate's stepdad are still alive? Would explain Jack's references to his dad, Kate's not being hauled away by the FBI, and Jack's comment about lying (to avoid revealing their actual past differs from their current present/future).

If so, did Desmond's altering of events (in his "dream" and on the island) create the alternate future the Losties return to?

great theory, i like it!!!