The reason I'm opening this thread is that many members seem to enjoy speculating about who might need a constant on the island, why and what that anchor would be. Keeping all that under one thread might help constructing a larger theory on the issues of the constant, its relation to EM fields, radiation and the characters.

To me, not all islanders need to have a constant, but only those traveling to & from the island off the safe bearings. Some other forum members think that, plus exposure to EM or radiation would be the reasons for the need of a constant (Daniel's conversation to Jack about Desmond, being the reference here).

First off, if we're to think that Desmond's proximity to the hatch explosion renders him susceptible to temporal disorientation/ time travel etc, I think the scale of the hatch explosion needs to be reconsidered. A discharge of EM that can turn the sky to purple must have affected every single person on the island. It's not like fishing by the 4-toed statue or staying in caves could have protected one from the consequences of massive release of energy. So our LOSTIES better start thinking real hard about something/someone to hold on to?

What do you think? Which Losties, what sort of a constant?

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"Bear...? Is that you?"-- Hurley S03E4

On another note, do you think Ben's "the beginning of the end" claim could be related to this issue of constant? Probably it could, and I think it's where Michael & Walt kick in for this Season.

Considering that Ben was aware of the post-(hatch)-explosion anomalies regarding the location of the island long before the arrival of Naomi or F4, Ben must have taken into account how that's only going to double the trouble. Ben's thinking the hatch explosion have rendered the island somewhat visible for the outside world (thus comes the freighter) but he's also aware the massive EM discharge islanders were subjected to might as well mess with their temporal cognition and cost them their lives (if they were to leave the island). Of course Ben is not a physicist and would not think with the notions or logic employed by Daniel and alike, but I think he's aware of the temporal mystery going on.

Could it be that Michael's attempts to leave the island via the 325 bearing failed, which led Ben to realize the effect of the explosion.. ? That the island is visible to outside yet hard to leave or return safely once left (there were numerous conversations on Season 3 around this).. This failure would also lead Michael to work further for Ben for the well being of Walt- if we are to think that Michael's Ben guy on the freighter.. Since ghosts don't grow up or age, I'd like to think Walt is not that dead and therefore, he might as well be the constant if spy-Michael needs one during his dangerous shuttle between the freighter and island (he went from one another at least once, so a constant might be necessary in his case, ergo Walt.) 3) So, with Michael's service, Ben's aware that there's some spatio-temporal rupture that not everybody would well adjust to. Whoever have sent the Freighter after Ben are not the only ones to be scared about. But also that not every islander eager to leave the island would have the constant necessary to stay safe in time. (Insert 'object of desire', 'reason to live', 'precious memory' etc instead of 'constant' here) Ben would know this, since he has exclusive information on every survivor of the Oceanic815.

Fun to stretch

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"Bear...? Is that you?"-- Hurley S03E4

Could it be that 'the one in the coffin' (S3E22: Through the Looking Glass) is a victim of temporal hiccup similar to that of Des? With Des, the sickness came quite fast and strong though, and I am not sure about the amount of time passed between LOSTIES departure from the island and that funeral Jack goes to.

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"Bear...? Is that you?"-- Hurley S03E4

I don't think the person in the coffin died of the "side effects". I mean, Desmond, and the two guys from the boat that died were struck by the problems as soon as they approached/left the island, and it looks like the Oceanic 6 have been of the island for a while when the coffin person (whoever it may be) dies. But doesn't the news paper article that Jack is reading on the plane say that he or she was murdered? Didn't see it myself, but I'm pretty sure I read it in some thread here...

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- Does anyone know how to use a gun?
- I think you just pull the trigger.

- Hey kid, what's eating you?
- Nothing, he's at the top of the food chain!
(The Lion King^^)

I agree. The sickness was pretty quick with freighter people, and progressed fast with Desmond as well.

Still the idea of constant seems to me of further significance for Oceanic 6.

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"Bear...? Is that you?"-- Hurley S03E4

The sickness was pretty quick with freighter people, and progressed fast with Desmond as well.

Bit of a long shot, but perhaps it's linked to the "sickness" that Rousseau reported when her people landed on the island?

Bit of a long shot, but perhaps it's linked to the "sickness" that Rousseau reported when her people landed on the island?

That's even a longer shot, and not with much plausible explanation I can think of.

__________________
"Bear...? Is that you?"-- Hurley S03E4