Crossings Exposed
Dr. Ian Stevenson, the Director of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia, has spent the last 40 years documenting over 3,000 cases of past life memories in children. According to Dr. Stevenson:
The most frequently occurring event or common denominator relating to rebirth is probably that of a child remembering a past life. Children usually begin to talk about their memories between the ages of two and four. Such infantile memories gradually dwindle when the child is between four and seven years old. There are of course always some exceptions, such as a child continuing to remember its previous life but not speaking about it for various reasons.
For many of the Losties the abundance of past lives is numerous. John Locke, for example, had nearly 100 past lives (some previously mentioned in Crossing Mr. Locke). Others, like Nikki and Paulo, have fewer (30 between the two of them). Fewer past lives lead to less likelihood of crossing paths with other Losties. In fact, Nikki would be virtually considered a babe to the whole cycle of rebirth. What then are we to make of them in the ongoing universal struggle being played out Wednesday nights on ABC?
Most of what is known about Nikki and Paulo is very limited. They are barely connected to the other survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. Owning golf clubs may have led to Paulo spending some time on Hurley’s makeshift course, but other than his trek with Nikki, Desmond, Sayid, and others to save Mr. Eko, he has been virtually a man unto himself. And Nikki? Barely a blip.
This Wednesday we will get our first peek at how Paulo and Nikki may be connected to the others, albeit, only in this life. There are rumors of connections to wealthy Australian TV producers, deceased Lostie siblings – Boone and Shannon, and iconic characters such as Dr. Arzt, but any crossings that may have occurred are still yet to be revealed. What then are we to make of Nikki and Paulo? Dr. Stevenson states:
Most of the children talk about their previous identity with great intensity and feeling. Often they cannot decide for themselves which world is real and which one is not. They often experience a kind of double existence where at times one life is more prominent, and at times the other life takes over. This is why they usually speak of their past life in the present tense saying things like, "I have a husband and two children who live in Jaipur." Almost all of them are able to tell us about the events leading up to their death.
Perhaps both of them are unable to connect with the people in this life because they cling to their old lives. Since they had no previous connection to anyone on the island, perhaps they long to move on to the next life and therefore have associated themselves with those destined to perish in this one. If Nikki and Paulo are most closely associated with the likes of Boone, Shannon, and Dr. Arzt, then the future does not bode well for either of them. What will be most interesting then will be whether or not they establish a connection they can carry with them into their next lives. While it is not certain either of them will die anytime soon (though some believe Paulo’s demise is imminent) perhaps their passing will be of the magnitude that all those they have failed to connect with previously will be eternally connected thereafter.
Next week, I will explore the little known connection between Kate Austen and Hugo “Hurley” Reyes. It seems both of them know a thing or two about hospitals.
To read more about Dr. Ian Stevenson and his research see his article on the significance of birthmarks at http://www.near-death.com/experiences/reincarnation01.html.
You know. If you don’t have any news, spoilers, or interesting theories about Lost it’s okay not to post anything.
Comment by thefallguy1 — March 26, 2007 @ 7:37 am
WTF?????!!!??!!!?!!??? Where the hell did the past lives thing come from? I read this whole thing and have no idea what it is talking about.
Someone make sense of this, please? And give me references FROM THE SHOW, not someone’s stupid theories.
Thanks.
Comment by whereswalto — March 26, 2007 @ 7:39 am
Yeah, this seems like its totally out of left field. Is this what the Nikki/Paulo episode is going to be about? Or is this just someones theory?
Comment by AnotherOther — March 26, 2007 @ 8:07 am
I agree, this has nothing to do with LOST…..no mention has been made to reincarnation. Delete this post it is stupid and has no bearing on LOST.
Comment by thirdflr — March 26, 2007 @ 9:06 am
I concur with the first post, no need to post if nothing interesting is offered or is it that April first is early this year.
Comment by BOB CRAMER — March 26, 2007 @ 9:29 am
I believe this to be a continuation of a previous post (Crossings) I think this post needs a better intro paragraph as to what they are getting into or trying to say. It lost me around
Comment by downthehatch — March 26, 2007 @ 9:29 am
I went back and read the “Crossing Mr. Locke” post that is referenced. It refers to all the characters Terry O’Quinn has played over the years and times when he as an actor has played parts with other actors now on LOST. Could this article have been just a poor-written intended joke?
I certainly hope so.
Comment by whereswalto — March 26, 2007 @ 9:30 am
If it’s too out there to go on BuddyTV we know where we can find it. Don’t worry Doc, we still love you.
Comment by JoefromUtah — March 26, 2007 @ 9:35 am
hahaha!!!
u guys are brutal! but u’re all right, this has nothing to do with reincarnation, as that is a completely different theory…and unless someone died and was reborn as aaron, this theory is pointless and a waste of valuable webspace.
Comment by mrT — March 26, 2007 @ 9:48 am
Wow, after wasting my time like that, I definitely will NOT be voting for the Tail Section in the dumb “Hugo Cup” contest… Better luck next year!
Comment by Ben — March 26, 2007 @ 10:06 am
Whoa, everybody needs to calm down. This is a blog site, and this mod had something he felt like posting. This site, as far as I know, doesn’t have an obligation to provide only facts and official news stories. While I agree that this particular post is strange to me and seems wildly out of context, I think we need to ease up on the writer.
After all, isn’t coming up with crazy theories and wild ideas about what’s going on EXACTLY why Lost is so much fun?
Comment by parkwaysouth — March 26, 2007 @ 10:29 am
This site was FUN when all we got was news about Lost, detailed episode recaps, and detailed easter egg hunts. Now it’s almost a waste of time to come here.
Comment by Joel — March 26, 2007 @ 10:51 am
This site was FUN when all we got was news about Lost, detailed episode recaps, and detailed easter egg hunts. Now it’s almost a waste of time to come here.
Comment by Joel — March 26, 2007 @ 10:53 am
Good to know I wasn’t the only left clueless by that post. I mean, if these past life meetings were shown on the show, shouldn’t there be more period costumes? Not that it’s hard to imagine Sawyer as some far west character and Kate as the saloon owner with a heart of gold, wait a minute, I think that show was called “Gunsmoke”. How ’bout Jack as the reincarnation of Marcus Welby? As for Charlie, when Danny Partridge fell apart, I guess he really fell apart.
And I think Paulo used to be a studly Brazilian, but I could be wrong about that.
Comment by Odette — March 26, 2007 @ 11:17 am
Guys!!
Give Doc a break. If you don’t want to read the stuff, don’t. If you don’t want to visit the site, don’t. If you do, take this for what it’s worth; a little bit of fun.
Comment by JoefromUtah — March 26, 2007 @ 11:20 am
I agree with the majority, especially Joel.
I started coming to this site for the fantastic spoilers, recaps, and especially the Easter eggs. Where have they been?
There has been some interesting info lately, but much less than we have all anticipated. Bring the Tail Section back to life, please!
Comment by Jenn — March 26, 2007 @ 11:48 am
I’m confused as to the relevance of some guy’s pseudoscientific theories on past lives to Lost.
Comment by Brian Laws — March 26, 2007 @ 11:49 am
JoefromUtah
I just came up with a new Lost theory: you suck
I’m joking. I think the only reason that there’s so many griping comments (including my own) is because we all hold the tail section to a higher standard. It rocks, and so do you, now let’s never fight again.
Comment by thefallguy1 — March 26, 2007 @ 11:51 am
The post reads like the ravings of a conspiracy theorist nutjob. Is anyone allowed to post on the front page?
Comment by Q — March 26, 2007 @ 12:09 pm
I think there’s some confusion here Mel. Are you saying that there is some kind of connection with past lives, television and film, and the LOST universe itself? As in maybe there’s something more to the TV and film producers and script that we’ll be introduced to in an upcoming episode? Like maybe this island is who they are for real and their flashbacks are acting roles? Or maybe everything is created by someone on another plane or in another world for entertainment? Or are you simply showing us that the actors have had connections in real life which may have something to do with why they were cast? PLEASE EXPLAIN…
Comment by cap10tripps — March 26, 2007 @ 12:41 pm
Okay, this is getting pretty old, real quick.
Imagine if you will that the characters of Lost lived different lives in different universes but somehow still managed to cross paths with one another. Sound absurd? Then you haven’t read Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. It was quite fun to find Father Callahan from Salem’s Lot reappearing in that series. It was also amusing to see the characters connected to other Stepehn King books. The idea of doors in one world that opened to tons of others, particular worlds created by Stephen King, just fascinated me.
These articles are not theories about the show they are fun diversions. Is that something you can live with or do you have to have spoilers, easter eggs and theories? Is there no room for these diversions on the Tail Section? You can’t enjoy the idea that these characters existed in different lives (i.e. other films and television shows)that had nothing to do with Lost except that they crossed paths with one another?
This article was an attempt to expand on the mythology I am creating that Lost is the center piece of a bigger, universal mystery. With this mythology you can create all sorts of ideas, like why did Kate briefly appear in another universe at the same hospital as Hurley’s pyschologist (Kingdom Hospital) or as in the above article, why have Nikki and Paulo never crossed paths with anyone on the island before? Does it have any direct bearing on the show? NO. That’s why it’s a diversion.
I guess hoping that people who shared a common interest, the love of a television show, would be willing to read other amusing stories involving the shows characters was just too much to expect. However, I’m going to continue to submit articles as long they continue to get posted. You can either enjoy the ride or skip the post. However, give the article a chance befor you just bash it because it’t not your cup-of-tea.
Comment by Merlboroman — March 26, 2007 @ 12:47 pm
cap10tripps…
Whether it will be revealed in the show or not I cannot say, but doesn’t it create some interesting ideas? I mean, if you read Salem’s Lot when it was first published you would never have expected to find Father Callahan again 30 years later, right? What if there is more to this connection between Stephen King, ABC, and the producers of Lost than we (or they)are ready to realize?
All of the above
Comment by Merlboroman — March 26, 2007 @ 12:52 pm
Who here is sick and tired of the pointless posts on our favorite LOST fansite? I for one think its possible thet he is some guy from DarkUFO trying to make this site suck with all this nonsense, and trying to draw votes to their site. Here’s a petition to remove Merlboroman as a mod:
Mike (Tucson, AZ)
(your name/username and city here)
Comment by mike — March 26, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
Mike,
Do have a legitimate gripe against the article? I mean do you think that this article is preventing the other items (spoilers, easter eggs, theories, interviews,etc.) from being displayed? Or do you just not like the premise?
I mean, I read through the comments, like Joel’s and I have to ask: Is getting more a bad thing? You’re not getting less of what you love at this site, but Doc is trying to offer more items to other fans and my article is a part of that. Is there something wrong with that?
Comment by Merlboroman — March 26, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
I’ve been on here and spat out some crazy theories that have led to diversions, so I’m not going to say anything negative.
I will say, however, that this diversion would be more than it is if it actually worked like Father Callahan and Salem’s Lot. That was the same CHARACTER. Much like Vincent Vega(John Travolta)in Pulp Fiction was the brother to Vic Vega(Michael Madsen) from Reservoir Dogs, thereby connecting Quentin Tarantino’s universe.
But I like the idea and applaud the scientific research that accompanied the piece.
Comment by El Prez — March 26, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
And this, Doc A., is precisely the reason that The Tail Section will NOT get my Hugo Cup vote. I come here for LOST information, darn it! I want hints, easter eggs, insight, spoilers! (I have yet to hear confirmation on the the spoiler-du-jour, the death in the Mar. 28th episode)! Who the hell cares about this stuff? What a waste of space!
Comment by jenndavo — March 26, 2007 @ 1:34 pm
” Do have a legitimate gripe against the article? I mean do you think that this article is preventing the other items (spoilers, easter eggs, theories, interviews,etc.) from being displayed? Or do you just not like the premise?
Is there something wrong with that?
Posted by: Merlboroman ”
Whats wrong with it is, I read a whole article trying to figure out WTF you were talking about, only to finish and regret even coming to this site.
If you are going to do another article like that (which I would advise against after seeing the response from this one), please do us all a favor and make it clear from the start what it is:
A fictional exercise, with no consequence to the actual show, that is meant to fill space and waste time.
Comment by Chlorinemusic — March 26, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
Chlorine,
Some of us do not see it as a waste of time nor simply meant to fill space. It is a fictional exercise, whehter or not it has any actual consequence to the show is yet to be seen.
However, I make no apologies for the article nor how it was written. It stands on its own as for what it is about. It’s become quite clear the people who dislike this article are the ones who only want “answers.” They need the spoilers, the easter eggs, the interviews and the theories because they lack the imagination to simply enjoy a story. While I honestly do not believe the writers or producers selected these actors with anything in mind other than their talent, I also think it’s fun to imagine that ka is a cycle with a will of its own. Why else are the creators of Lost developing Stephen King’s Dark Tower?
Comment by Merlboroman — March 26, 2007 @ 2:15 pm
oh, and I just want to add, these comments about wasting time and space on the internet…do you guys even realize the irony that you’re refering to a blog site about a television show?
Comment by Merlboroman — March 26, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
Thanks for the reply Mel. Your article just got a lot more interesting. It is quite possible there is a universe within a universe for the people that are hands on at LOST. I will admit I’ve never read “The Dark Tower” series (and I’m a King fan), but it will be the next thing I read (it really does sound fascinating). Just a piece of constructive criticism, explain your thoughts behind the idea a bit more. At first glance it does appear to just be a list of who was in what (which is not meant for a site like this). I do love the angles you’re taking when we dig a little deeper.
Yo Prez, you’ve done it again. I had no idea that the Vegas were related (although at a second glance I can’t believe I didn’t catch it). I’m a big Quentin fan too. Thanks for the info. By the way Prez, on the “misfit” blog I’ve posted part 2 of my theory. Just wanted to know some of your well respected thoughts. Namaste…
Comment by cap10tripps — March 26, 2007 @ 3:07 pm
cap10tripps - thanks for the comments and the insightful criticism. I’ll endeavor to be more direct in future posts.
Comment by Merlboroman — March 26, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. Thetailsection is going to expand into more diverse forms of content. I’m sorry if you you don’t like this piece, the fact that any of you feel compelled to trash the site because you didn’t like one or two entries though… uh… don’t let the door catch your heel on the way out, ok? I mean, grow up. Seriously. You want to flame the site because you don’t like one contribution? This is a no hissy fit zone.
Now, on the other hand… I put out a call for news editors a while back, nobody responded. If anybody is interested in padding out the original content with copy/paste of leading headlines I’m all for that. Email me at docarzt@mac.com and I’ll hook you up. But to say this site sucks because of this article? I’m dissapointed in anybody that takes that stance. You’re not exhibiting the kind of open mindedness I’m accustomed to from MOST of my readers…
Comment by docarzt — March 26, 2007 @ 4:25 pm
I do like Tail Section, very much so, don’t get me wrong.
But this article was just…crap. It’s contents are said with such certainty, like it flowed directly out of Cuse and Lindelof. It’s something that’s never even been discussed as a viable theory.
I get the diversification of the content, which is fine, but lets get a filter on the nut jobs, k Doc?
Comment by RedStarRevolution — March 26, 2007 @ 4:37 pm
Reread both articles and you’ll quickly realize that in now way, shape, or form do I pretend that this is something the show’s producers have introduced or intend to introduce. It’s a creative way of looking at the whole creative body of work of the actors/charactes on the show in context to some of the shows mythology and its use of pop-culture. The fact that everyone seems to believe it is supposed to be some theory to explain the show, while at the same time bashing the article, only serves to prove that they didn’t read it.
Okay, since I’m getting sick of explainingg the same thing over and over to people who simply aren’t going to be satisfied, from now I’m only going to respond to people who have questions about the article. Comments like, “This is crap, pointless, waste of time…” are simply immature, disrespectful and no longer deserve the attention I’ve given them. Either Doc will stop posting my articles or you’ll just have to skip over them.
Comment by Merlboroman — March 26, 2007 @ 6:10 pm
I’ve yet to read the entire article, but I enjoyed the one about John Locke, so I’m sure I’ll like this one. I think this has a lot of relevance to the show. Selfish, disrespectful people don’t want to give any credit to the people who make this show happen, and I think these entries do the job well. Keep up the good work!
Comment by M.T. McLaughlin — March 26, 2007 @ 7:39 pm
My only complaint is that the post lost me in the opening. Now that I realize where you’re going with it, a la King’s Dark Tower books (which I loved), I find it intriguing. Maybe you might want to do a better job with the intro though, because the 100 crossings thing threw me for a loop, as it felt like something was missing from the beginning of your post. You either need to expand upon it to make it clearer, or add a link to a previous posting if this is a continuation so that people don’t feel Lost.
Comment by GodBlessTexas — March 27, 2007 @ 8:45 am
I personally like these crossings! First I didn’t get what you were talking about but after I figured it out in the 1st part I liked it!
Comment by Josh — March 27, 2007 @ 11:35 am