Resurrection
From Lostpedia
- For the concept of a second chance, see Rebirth
Resurrection, eternal life, and reincarnation are recurring themes on Lost. Christian, Egyptian, and Native American symbols have been used to reinforce these themes. As stated in an official podcast, the producers are creating a “resurrection theme”.
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Cultural Perspectives
Buddhism
Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the consciousness of a person (as conventionally regarded), upon the death or dissolution of the aggregates (skandhas) which make up that person, becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new group of skandhas which may again be conventionally considered a person or individual. The consciousness arising in the new person is neither identical to, nor different from, the old consciousness, but forms part of a causal continuum or stream with it. The basic cause for this persistent re-arising of personality is the abiding of consciousness in avijja (ignorance); when ignorance is uprooted, rebirth ceases.
Sikhs
Sikhs believe that every creature has a Soul; on death, the Soul is passed from one body to another until Liberation. The journey of the Soul is governed by the deeds and actions that we perform during our lives. If we perform good deeds and actions and remember the Creator, we attain a better life. On the contrary, if we carry out evil actions and sinful deeds, we will be incarnated in “lower” life forms – snakes, ghosts, animals, etc. The person who has evolved to spiritual perfection attains salvation – union with God. The Karmas of a person will definitely have their effect, both good and bad. No worldly power can change the course of their movement. But according to the Sikh thought, the Almighty God, with his Grace, may pardon the wrongs of a person and thus release him/her from the pangs of suffering. Reincarnation, simply stated, is the law of cause and effect: reincarnation does not create any caste or differences among people: past and present life's actions simply have a bearing upon a specific individual. Reincarnation in no way makes one superior to another.
References & Symbols
Hieroglyphs
The hieroglyphs in the frozen wheel chamber indicate resurrection.
Ankhs
An Ankh is an Egyptian hieroglyph that can symbolize life. Since Egyptian deities are often shown conferring that life to the deceased, it can represent eternal life. Ankhs have been seen on Paul’s necklace, and in the hands of a giant Egyptian statue. ("LaFleur")
Geronimo Jackson
A Native American symbol on the hatband shown on Geronimo Jackson’s single artwork for Dharma Lady represents everlasting life.
Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient story that is referenced in a crossword puzzle that Locke completes. ("Collision") In the epic, Gilgamesh searches for immortality.
Ben’s van
Ben’s van has the company name "Canton-Rainier" on the side. It is an anagram for "reincarnation."
DHARMA Initiative
The symbol at the center of the DHARMA logos and The Hanso Foundation logo (yin-yang) is one which symbolizes an endless balance and cycle of the universe, including of reincarnation, an element of that referenced religion.
Boone & Aaron
Boone died at the same time as Aaron was born, and the scenes were juxtaposed with one another to show the endless cycle of life. ("Do No Harm")
Dalai Lama
As a child, Locke was tested by Richard Alpert in a way similar to tests are done to find the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. ("Cabin Fever")
Christianity
Crucifix
The Christian cross has been shown multiple times throughout Lost, for example, on Yemi’s necklace. It can symbolize many things, including Jesus’ resurrection.
John 3:16
John 3:16 is a Bible passage that reads: "For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This text appears on the Ajira Airways website. 316 was also the flight number for the Ajira Airways flight used to return to the island. ("316")
Colossians
Eko's stick has multiple bible references written on it, including “Colossians”, which includes the text: "When you were dead in your sins... God made you alive with Christ..." (Colossians 2:13)
Jesus’ Disappearance
After Locke and Eko remove stones to try to recover Yemi’s body, they find that Yemi’s body has disappeared, much like the story of Jesus’ disappearance from his tomb. ("The Cost of Living")
Resurrections
Apparent Resurrections
Multiple characters appear to have been resurrected.
- Charlotte Malkin supposedly drowned but came back to life. Eko investigated this case for the Vatican. She claims to have seen his brother, Yemi in a vision from the other side. ("?")
- Christian Shephard died in Sydney, after arriving at the island he becomes “undead” (Official Lost Podcast/March 21, 2008)
- Yemi is confirmed as “undead”. (Official Lost Podcast/March 21, 2008)
- Kate’s horse is confirmed as “undead”. (Official Lost Podcast/March 21, 2008)
Mysterious appearances of apparently dead characters
These are unexplained and may be hallucinations or dreams, not necessarily literal examples of reincarnation, but are symbolic nonetheless.
- Christian Shephard (to Jack on and off the Island)
- Yemi (to Eko on the Island)
- Ana Lucia (to Eko in a dream, with blood coming out of her mouth, before he knew she was dead, and to Hurley, telling him not to get arrested and that Libby said "Hi".)
- Boone (to Locke, as he was in the sweat lodge seeking to "speak to the Island")
- Emily Linus, Ben's mother (to Ben)
- Charlie (to Hurley, off the Island, telling Hurley that the people they left behind needed his help.)
- Libby (to Michael, off the Island. First time, at the hospital where he was and the last, at the Freighter, telling him not to activate the bomb.)
- Sawyer believed that the boar was a reincarnation of Frank Duckett. ("Outlaws")
- The black horse that Kate sees twice appears to be a reincarnation of Wayne. ("Outlaws")
- Locke told the story of a golden retriever that his foster mother was convinced was the reincarnation of his foster sister.
- Alex to Ben under the temple.
Literal resuscitations from near death
- Jack used CPR to resuscitate Rose from heart arrest. She came back with a calm conviction that Bernard was ok. ("Pilot, Part 1")
- Jack used CPR to resuscitate Charlie after he was abducted by Ethan (along with Claire) and hung from a tree by his neck and left for dead. ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues")
- After he was given some antibiotics, Sawyer started his recovery from a gunshot wound. ("Collision")
- Charlotte Malkin revives after drowning, despite being pronounced dead by Dr. Ian McVay and preparation for autopsy. She meets Eko at the airport with a message from his deceased brother, Yemi, "from the in-between place". Whether she actually returned from the dead is disputed; both she and her mother claim she did, but her father says this claim was invented. ("?")
- Nikki Fernandez and Paulo were believed to be dead but were actually paralyzed after being bitten by the medusa spider. Just as Nikki started recovering, she and Paulo were buried alive by the other 815 survivors.
- Locke is thrown out of an 8 story building off the island and seems to be dead until Jacob touches his shoulder. Locke becomes paralyzed.
- Mikhail has seemingly died twice - once even pronounced dead by Kate - but is somehow alive again. In this first "death" Mikhail explained that the Sonic Fence that supposedly killed him wasn't set to lethal. In "Catch-22" he told Desmond that he already died once this week. In "Through the Looking Glass" he shoots Greta through the heart and kills her only to have himself shot through the heart with a spear gun by Desmond. Not a few minutes later, Mikhail kills himself when he uses a grenade to blow open a porthole of the Looking Glass from the outside, which results in Charlie drowning.
In The Lost Experience
On the Hanso Foundation website from September 26, it is written, "the work of the Hanso Foundation has always been intended to bring rebirth to a dying land and a dying people."
