[bigmouth]

In the celebrated graphic novel Watchmen, one of the main characters is a superman named Dr. Manhattan. A scientist, he is reduced by a freak accident (the incident?) to pure energy. His physical body is obliterated but his electromagnetic “soul” persists.

With this transformation in mind, check out this quote from the whispers Sawyer hears on the beach in outlaws:*

Oh my god there's a guy out there
Dennis (?) find out what's going on
Did he see us?
Maybe
Open it
Did you see what direction he went?
Right through those trees
Go and get him
There is an explanation (resolution?) and I bet you haven't thought of it
What is it?
He's been in a plane crash
Are you sure?
I know what it's like for a plane to crash
Complain, complain, complain
I want to get closer
I know what you said, but he's looking around
What if he shoots us or something
------
There may be something, but it may be slack (?)
Let's go
Has he seen us?
(Alarms go off)
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry
(faint...could be echo from alarm)
Intruder, Intruder
Hide against the bushes
Open the door
I know what it's like for a plane to crash
Complain, complain, complain
I know what you said, but...

Some have noted that the foregoing sounds eerily like the dialogue of ghosts – ones who may not know they’re dead. Now check out this quote from the whispers in the jungle when Shannon gets shot:

Shannon
She likes the guy, she likes the guy
Shannon
Your life and time is up
Help me
(Screaming in the background)
Shannon, meet me on the other side
Her song
Hi sis
(Gun shot)

Note how at least one of the whispers apparently refers to Shannon as "sis" when she's shot. Recall as well that Vincent led Shannon to Boone's grave right before she died.

Is it possible the whispers are the electromagnetic remains of everyone who's ever died on the island? Could this explain the island's strange electromagnetic forces? Perhaps, nothing, not even our electromagnetic souls can escape the Island's magnetic embrace.

Could the whispers be a chorus of the dead?

*Transcripts of the whispers courtesy of lost-links.


Civil thing to do when told "Don't tell me what I can't do?"

[jmb3rg3r]

Originally Posted by bigmouth

Is it possible the whispers are the electromagnetic remains of everyone who's ever died on the island? Could this explain the island's strange electromagnetic forces? Perhaps, nothing, not even our electromagnetic souls can escape the Island's magnetic embrace.

Could the whispers be a chorus of the dead?

They could be a chorus of the dead, but electromagnetism is not the likely culprit, at least not if they want to come off as a modern show.

Although there are electromagnetic properties associated with consciousess and neural activity, electromagnetic theories of the soul have long been abandoned in favor of quantum fields, or emergent complex systems bound by quantum spin entanglement.

All of this might be a little heavy for broadcast television.

[Wanna-be Buddha]

Awesome discussion, you guys. I don't have much to add, though, except that modern "ghosthunters" do incorporate the study of electromagnetic fields into their research. I know because I am one. As a lark, mind, not as a serious endeavor. It's fun. But I digress. The Maryland Ghost and Spirits Association, to which I belong, uses Gauss meters quite frequently, which are devices that measure electromagnetic fields. The results, while hardly credible in academic circles, are still pretty interesting.

I'll defer to jmberger as far as the actual science of EMFs go. I can't pretend to know anything about physics. But it is true that EMF equipment is still considered by many (quacks though they may be) to be a valid means of "proving" the presence of ghosts.

[jmb3rg3r]

I probably should step back a bit from an opinion on whether this is what the writers have in mind. I will concede I may be too steeped in this particular subject to judge what would fly on TV. EMF theory was very popular for a long time, although, as you say, without hard scientific proof.

EMFs do have a measurable effect on consciousness and brain function, specifically the parts of the brain tied to hallucinations, and there is a strain of this research that deals with a possible link between EMF fluctuations and alien abduction experiences (relating back to the brain's production of DMT, an organic hallucinogen).

This could be relevant to LOST on a number of fronts. For one thing, the hallucinations are tied to the pineal gland (aka the "third eye"). For another, there is a lot of exploration of how DMT driven brain activity relates back to religious and out of body experiences, including hearing voices.

So an electromagnetic "incident" on the Island could produce all kinds of neurological effects, including the whisperers -- either as EMF projections of memories, minds or thoughts from one brain to another, or as simple hallucinations.

[SareEru]

Ohhh! So maybe the ultimate goal is that the survivors must figure out how to free these trapped electro-magnetic souls... I think that could be very cool!

[Mayfair]

I think that if the writers put this into the show then it would be too confusing and too sci-fi for the viewers. Now I have thought that maybe the voices are somehow coming from the unseen radio tower on the island.

[The artist formerly known]

Is this true? I thought I was an avid Lost fan and never knew that the whispers were ever transcribed?

[Hurley4Prez]

^ I had read very, very different transcripts of the whipsers. I guess these are new & improved?

[lacenaire]

In Riverworld, the souls "wathans" are actually merged with the cloned bodies in a magnetic machine.

[LQ Jones]

Everyone has their own electromagnetic signature.
This is more commonly referred to as the mind or soul of the person.

Question: Have these transcripts been verified ??
If so, by whom ??