Religion and ideologies
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Because of the mysterious occurrences on the Island, and the varied predispositions of its inhabitants, many different religions and ideologies are explored in Lost.
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General
- Ben tells Locke, "God doesn't know how long we've been here, John. He can't see this island any better than the rest of the world can." ("Dave")
- One of the literary references is Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. ("The Whole Truth")
- Ben asks Jack if he believes in God. Jack turns the question back on him, and Ben suggests Jack's existence on the Island (a spinal surgeon, when Ben has a fatal spinal tumor) is proof of God. ("The Cost of Living")
- The scene where Ben tries to get Locke to kill his father has the distinct aura of a sacrificial ritual. ("The Brig")
Organized religion
Christianity
Throughout the show, Christianity is referred to the most among other religions and ideologies. Some explicit references are made through the characters own practices, and other implicit references are found in the storyline, mostly to reflect the general concept of "Faith" more than the specific religion.
General
Most of the explicit references to Christianity, both general or specific, were made through Mr. Eko's thread, given his assumed priesthood. After killing two of the Others in self defense, Eko takes a redeeming vow for 40 days and nights, reminiscent of Lent tradition, during which he abstains from talking. In the 40 days, Eko sculpts a staff from a tree branch, carving into it a cross and various Bible scriptures which he continued to add after his vow ended. The last carving is revealed by Locke to be: "Lift up your eyes and look north." John 3.05, though actually a reference to Ezekiel 8:5. John 3:5 is actually "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.'" (NIV) ("The Cost of Living")
On the way to the Beechcraft, Eko obtains a cross from the dead body of his brother, Yemi, which becomes another personal item of his. Eko loses his cross during the Swan's implosion, before getting it back from Locke in a kind of symbolic exchange of faith. The survivors use crosses to mark the graves of Shannon, Boone, and other deceased fuselage passengers. Their use of Christian burials distinguishes them from the Others, who use rituals inspired by Hinduism in their funerals. ("The 23rd Psalm") ("The Cost of Living")
Before Eko joins the Middle section survivors, Rose, a devout Christian, played a key role in helping her peers come to terms with their faith and cope with their suffering. Among those she helped was Charlie, whom she comforted over Claire's kidnap by Ethan by praying for him. Later, she helped Locke in restoring his faith in the Island, before it was shattered by his visit to the Pearl. ("Lockdown")
Eko enlists Charlie's help in building a Church. Eko never finishes building the church. Locke later used this site when he built his sweat lodge, in which he is visited by a vision of Boone. This juxtaposition suggests a similarity between the prophetic visions of Christianity and the visionary traditions of Native American faiths. ("Fire + Water") ("Further Instructions")
Locke's mother, Emily Annabeth Locke, claims that Locke was immaculately conceived, although she misuses the term, implying that Locke did not have a human father. ("Deus Ex Machina") When the fuselage survivors put Benjamin Linus into the Swan's armory, he hangs on the wall in a manner which is reminiscent of the crucifixion. ("Dave")
Other references:
- Dave's urging of Hurley to over-eat, and to throw himself off of the cliff, a reference to the temptations issued by Satan to Jesus during his 40-days in the desert prior to his public ministry. ("Dave")
- Rose considering her healing a miracle. ("S.O.S.")
Biblical references
Other general references to Judaism and Christianity are also made, through the names of the characters:
- Adam and Eve are the first people.
- Aaron is the brother of Moses.
- Sarah is the mother of Isaac.
- Isaac is the father of Jacob.
- Rachel is the wife of Jacob and the mother of Benjamin.
- Jacob is the father of Benjamin and Dan.
- Jacob is the great-great-grandfather of Aaron.
- Michael is the only archangel designated in the Bible.
- Naomi is the mother-in-law of Ruth.
- Ethan is a cymbal-player in King David's court.
- James was the 'brother' of Jesus. Two of Jesus' disciples were also named James.
- John the Baptist was the second cousin of Jesus.
- John is also the name of one of Jesus' closest disciples, generally believed to be "the disciple whom Jesus loved". John and his brother James were nicknamed the Sons of Thunder by Jesus.
- Desmond's sailboat was named Elizabeth, who was the cousin of Mary and the mother of John the Baptist, who as mentioned above was the second cousin of Jesus.
- Thomas(Tom) Disciple of Jesus Christ also informally referred to as Doubting Thomas.
- Matthew was a tax collector who became a Disciple of Christ.
- Abaddon was the Angel of Destruction who tossed Satan into the abyss.
- Daniel, was a significant Hebrew prophet, taken as a captive to Babylon where he became a government official.
- Seth is the son of Adam. Jacob is a direct descendant of Adam and Seth.
Catholicism
Catholicism is brought into the storyline by three prominent characters: Charlie; Mr. Eko; and Desmond; in addition to other occasional references.
As revealed in his flashbacks, Charlie Pace is raised a devout Catholic, and was an altar boy. Charlie detaches from his religious roots for a while, when introduced to the world of drugs and fame in his music career. However, in the events of Claire's kidnap and influenced by Rose's strong faith, the traumatized Charlie finds remedy in turning to his faith and asking God for help, although he regresses again shortly when he comes to the heroin-filled Virgin Mary statues, at the Nigerian Beechcraft. Temporarily, the statues are interpreted by Claire as a sign of Charlie's religious tendencies, before the truth unfolds. After his arrival at the survivors' camp, Eko also played a critical role in influencing Charlie's faith attachment. Charlie soon approaches and befriends Eko, and helps him in building the first known church on the Island, out of wood that Eko marked as "good". Later, Charlie is visited by vivid dreams of a constantly endangered Aaron, with his mother and Claire appearing as angels and Hurley as John the Baptist in variations on Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ, asking him to save Aaron. When Charlie confides in Eko, he guides him to the possible relation of saving Aaron and baptism. Influenced by Charlie's urges, Claire approaches Eko who baptizes her and Aaron upon her request, making them both, accordingly, Catholic. As a final testament to his faith, Charlie does the sign of the Cross right before he dies.
Catholicism is further referenced through Eko's own Flashbacks, which introduces his Catholic priest brother, Yemi. Both Eko and Yemi were raised in a devout catholic faith, before Eko strays to the life of crime to save his brother. After Yemi is later kidnapped by Eko's accomplices in the Beechcraft, Eko takes his place in church posing as a Catholic priest, before truthfully embracing his new role through an overseas internship that Yemi was signed for. Later, the reluctant Eko is sent to Australia by the Monsignor to investigate the claim of Joyce Malkin, a devout Catholic, that her daughter, Charlotte, miraculously rose from the dead. In spite of his disbelief, Eko is stopped by Charlotte at the airport, to deliver him a message from the dead Yemi, asking him to strengthen his faith. Honoring Yemi was the motivation for Eko's attempt in building the Church, which also served as his means of Redemption, before Yemi visits him in a dream, after which he embraces the pushing of the button as his new redeeming task. In his final moments, Eko is confronted by several images of characters (presumably generated by the Monster) from his past, including Yemi, who repeatedly ask him to "Confess" the traditional Catholic step toward Redemption. When Eko refuses, he is soon attacked by the Monster which ends his life.
Desmond Hume was a Novice in a monastery in Eddington, Scotland and is under Brother Campbell. The monastery's source of income is producing wine under the Moriah Vineyard label. He was once engaged to Ruth whom he left when he felt a higher calling after meeting Brother Campbell. Ruth wears a Rosary and has a prominent Crucifix on her wall. ("Catch-22")
Desmond is also seen crossing himself a number times before turning the Fail safe key. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
Other Island survivors with a Catholic background include Hurley, who is raised by a devout Catholic mother for whom he buys a large gold Jesus statue, and who strongly denounces the idea of curses before a series of unfortunate events strikes her whole world after her son wins the lottery. Hurley also prays when trying to fix the DHARMA Van showing that at least some of his mother's belief has rubbed off on him.
Catholicism is mentioned very briefly in one of Kate's flashbacks as well. As revealed by Marshal Edward Mars in their short call, it was the Catholic Feast of the Assumption (Celebrated on August 15th (8/15)). He then goes on to say, "How many holy days have come and gone since you last called?" She also mentions that she went to Sunday School as a girl and that her alias, "Lucy" was inspired by St. Lucy. A greater significance to Kate's choice is indicated because the feast Sawyer throws for the castaways occurs on Dec. 19, the Feast of St. Lucy. ("Left Behind")
Among the significant references, there is the notation, "Sursum corda", found on the blast door map, meaning "Lift up your hearts", which holds a notable explicit reference, since it is the phrase often used in addressing the Catholic mass in the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Locke's anger management meeting was in the meeting room of a Christian church, as stained glass is visible. This church may be Catholic, as identified by the church exterior which includes a white statue of the Virgin Mary.
The memorial service for Christian Shepherd was held in a Catholic church.
Seven Deadly Sins
Several references to The Seven Deadly Sins have been theorized.
Pride (Jack), Envy (Jin), Anger (Locke), Sloth (Shannon), Greed (Sawyer), Gluttony (Hugo), Lust (Boone). As well several of the symbolic animal equivalents have been seen: Pride, Horse (Kate's Horse); Envy, Dog (Vincent); Anger, Bear (Polar Bears); Sloth, Goat (Not Yet Seen); Greed, Frog (Sawyer's Tree Frog); Gluttony, Pig (Wild Boars); and Lust, Cow (Mikhail Bakunin's cows at The Flame).
Seven Holy Virtues
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Several references to The Seven Holy Virtues, have also been theorized.
Chasity (Juliet), Temperance (), Charity (), Diligence (), Patience (), Kindness (Claire), Humility ().
Eastern Orthodoxy
Orthodox Christianity was only referenced in the storyline through mentioning Fyodor Dostoevsky, whom Locke and Ben speak of while debating his famous book, The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoevsky was in fact an intensely faithful member of the Russian Orthodox Church, which reflected in most of his work and in particular The Brothers Karamazov. In their debate, Ben picks a line from the book, "Men reject their prophets and slay them, but they love their martyrs and honor those whom they have slain," to use in exploring Locke's own motivations and his position on Faith.
Dostoevsky also wrote a book called The Demons or The Devils which was a critique in fiction of the atheist and anarchist represented by Russian philosophers like Bakunin.
Protestantism
- Protestantism was implicitly referenced twice in the storyline, both through apparently Protestant weddings. The first was the wedding of Jack and Sarah, and the second was that of Kate and Kevin Callis.
- A single explicit reference to Protestantism was made by revealing Francis Heatherton's earlier involvement in a rock band called "The Protestant Reformation".
- The title of a Kate-centric episode is the same as that of a series (and its first book) by a pair of Evangelicals that is centered on a fundamentalist interpretation of the Book of Revelation. ("Left Behind")
Judaism
Elements from Judaism factor into the show's mythology and symbolism as well. It should be noted, though, that no single character has explicitly acknowledged Judaism as their professed religion as of the end of Season 3. Also, many of the references to Judaism are taken from the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, which is also used by Christians as the Old Testament. Often, these references are made by characters with Christian backgrounds.
The writers occasionally make explicit references to Judaism in the titles of the episodes. For instance, the names of both Season 1 finale episodes, Exodus I and Exodus II, are named after the second book of the Torah. It tells the story of the Hebrews' departure from Egypt, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. In the finale, the survivors are also forced to consider departing their camp and heading to the Swan station, after hearing Rousseau claim that the Others are coming. Later, the writers refer again to Exodus in the finale of Season 3, when the castaways journey to the radio tower. In this episode, Naomi refers to Jack as "Moses." Another such reference is the name of the Season 2 episode, which refers to the the 23rd Psalm in the Bible, also known as the Shepherd Psalm. In this episode, Eko and Charlie recite this Psalm together. Eko recites it again in his final confrontation with the Monster. Claire tells Eko that her baby's name is Aaron, and they discuss how the name was also that of Moses's elder brother (the spokesman of Moses to his own people, and also to the Pharaoh). ("The Cost of Living") ("The 23rd Psalm")
The writers' use of the Pillar of Smoke is another reference to Judaism. According to Exodus, a pillar of smoke led the Hebrews through the desert in their journey to the Promised Land. In the Bible, the pillar of smoke is a manfestation of God. On the Island, however, pillars of smoke appear to be malevolent rather than divine. One pillar of smoke seems to constitute the body of the Monster. Another column of smoke signaled the presence of the Others (according to Rousseau). In a more neutral sense, Jack and Sayid agree to use black smoke as a signal before heading to the Other's decoy village.
The scene where Ben tries to get Locke to kill his father has been cited by fans as a backwards version of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. The wine made by the monks at the abbey Desmond attends, Mount Moriah, is named for the site of the sacrifice.
Islam
Islam is introduced in the storyline by a leading character; Sayid, who is of Muslim faith. Like many other characters, Sayid can be considered to have undergone a transition towards faith and spirituality, which in his case became a strong factor in helping him atone for his past. Given the nature of Islam as a wide range system of beliefs, overlapping the fate and free will dilemma, as well as views on redemption, a number of Sayid's actions and emotional struggles on the Island can be explained in the light of its inspirations. During the past seasons, Sayid was seen practicing a number of Islamic rituals, as well as making faith-inspired decisions, referencing his faith at both explicit and implicit levels.
Among the main explicit references, comes Praying (Salat), which Sayid was seen practicing on and off the Island with different mindsets. Hence, comes its importance in portraying his Faith Journey. Prior to the crash, a flashback of Sayid revealed his employment of praying as a means of approaching Essam, to fulfill the task he was blackmailed into by the CIA. His desire to claim Essam's body to provide a proper Islamic burial delayed his flight, causing him to board the fated Flight 815. Furthermore, during his time on the Island, Sayid was seen on the Sailboat praying again, this time, however, as a means of connecting to God, to strengthen his faith and attain a spiritual support, before what could be a deadly confrontation with the Others. Another reference to praying was made, when Sayid visited Shannon's grave, and left his praying breads at the cross, in what also seemed to be a symbol of bridging between religions. ("The Greater Good")
Position on burials. Sayid suggested the burial of the deceased bodies from The middle section and opposed Jack's practical decision to burn them along with the fuselage. He felt that neither he nor Jack had the right to make such a decision which may disregard the wishes and religious beliefs of the deceased. ("Walkabout")
After the death of Essam in Sydney, the Australian government prepared to cremate his body, having no one to claim the body. Sayid was compelled to claim the body of Essam in order to avoid the cremation of his Muslim friend. ("The Greater Good")
Salvation. After torturing Sawyer, Sayid departs on a solitary journey. ("Confidence Man")
Testimony of faith. While hanging up in Rousseau's trap and thinking he would die, he is heard saying the Islamic testimony of Faith (Shahadah), which are the last words a Muslim says before his death, if able to. ("Solitary")
Belief in Qadr, fate or divine destiny. One of the doctrines of Islam is Qadr, fate or divine destiny. Fate is one of the persistent themes of Lost. Although it is not certain, Sayid is most likely a Sunni. Evidence for this includes that he is from Tikrit (per "House of the Rising Sun"). Tikrit is part of the predominantly Sunni area of Iraq. In "Solitary", while he tortures a prisoner named Falah, he refers to Shiites in a manner that implies he is Sunni: "You want me to stop, Falah? … Your Shiite friends have already implicated you in the bombing. You planted the device in the Bathist headquarters, didn't you?" He was a member of the Republican Guard, a force made up of primarily Sunni Muslims. Although Qadr is a doctrine common throughout Islam, it is emphasized in Sunni Islam as one of the six articles of belief. Sayid refers to fate in a way that implies he at least partially believes in it: "On the way to the funeral I told you that Michael had been compromised by the Others, and then you asked me how we might take advantage of that. I believe fate has given us our answer—the boat." In general, however, Sayid speaks and acts as if his words and actions can have a direct effect on events, which implies a practical belief in free will. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
In Season 4, a Qur’ān, the religious text of Islam, is seen on Ben's bookshelf. ("The Economist")
Native American beliefs
- The various animal appearances have totemic qualities.
- There is a sweat lodge at the commune and Locke builds another sweat lodge on the Island for the purpose of undergoing a vision quest. ("Further Instructions")
- A Black Rock Spirit, in Native American mythology, figures among the superhuman guards that defended an island of bad spirits located in the middle of the ocean.
- Black Rock – Hawaii. This promontory came to be designated as one of three great 'Uhane Lele, a sacred point where souls of the dead leaped into their ancestral spirit land.
- The book Red Man's Religion: Beliefs and Practices of the Indians North of Mexico by Ruth Murray Underhill is visible among the books on Ben's shelf. ("The Economist")
- The Jeep ad found in letyourcompassguideyou.com features a Native American totem pole.
Shamanism
- Locke often acts in a quasi-shamanic fashion and claims to be "a man of faith".
- Boone's vision of Shannon being killed by the Monster was very like a shamanic vision-quest.
- The spiral on the tie-dyed T-shirt given to Desmond by Hurley is a symbol often found in primitive art.
Australian Aboriginal beliefs
- Locke was planning on going on a walkabout. The tour in the show was geared towards tourists but in Australian Aboriginal beliefs, a walkabout is a means of communing with the spirits and oneself and is done alone.
- The Uluru in Isaac of Uluru refers to a sacred site of the Australian Aboriginals also known as Ayer's Rock.
- Many of the Glyphs resemble Aboriginal artwork.
Buddhism
- "Dharma" and "Namaste" are terms relevant to Buddhism. (Season 2)
- The number 108 has great significance in Buddhism [1] and a number of Eastern beliefs.
- When Jin passes Sun's friend after asking if he can "see his wife", a statue of the Buddha is visible in the corridor outside the room. ("...In Translation")
- Locke tells Sun that he didn't find what he was looking for until he stopped looking. There's a Zen Buddhist koan that goes "To find something stop looking for it." ("...And Found")
- The central tenets of Buddhism are called "The 4 Noble Truths"
- Additionally, the following of the four noble truths involves walking the 8 fold path.
- In the thousands of years since the time of Siddhārtha Gautama (the historical Buddha), there have been innumerable developments in Mahayana, Theravada, and Tantryana (esoteric) Buddhisms, in Sri Lanka, India, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, making it difficult to determine central tenets over most of Buddhist history in most places where it exists or has existed.
- The slide show in Room 23 contained the phrases, "We are the causes of our own suffering," and, "THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE". These may be references to the Buddhist Four Noble Truths. The video also contained a quote from the Buddhist text Dhammapada, "Plant a good seed and you will joyfully gather fruit," and it also contained an image of the Buddha. ("Not in Portland")
- A repetitive theme in Lost & The Lost Experience is an image of the dharmacakra, an 8 spoked wheel representing the Eightfold Path of enlightenment.
- There is an upside-down Buddha in the painting in Charles Widmore's office and the word "Namaste" is written backwards on the top side. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
- Achara is a synonym for Dharma and the Wai has a similar meaning to Namaste. ("Stranger in a Strange Land")
- The song Shambala plays on the van radio. Shambala, also spelled Shambhala, is a mystical Himalayan hidden kingdom in the lore of Tibetan Buddhism. ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead").
- In Through the Looking Glass as Jack drives to the funeral parlor he is listening to a song by Nirvana. Achievement of Nirvana is the ultimate goal of Buddhism.
- The test given by Richard Alpert to a young John Locke resembles the test given in Tibetan Buddhism to determine whether or not someone is a tulku or reincarnated holy man. ("Cabin Fever")
- The Jeep ad found in letyourcompassguideyou.com features a Buddha statue.
Hinduism
- "Dharma" and "Namaste" also have meanings in Hinduism.
- 108 is also a sacred number to Hindus.
- Colleen's funeral included dress and procedures reminiscent of Hindu customs.
- Richard Alpert is the birth name of Baba Ram Dass, Hindu/New Age guru.
- "Achara" is a Hindu concept synonymous with "Dharma".
- The Om is shown on a Thai boy's t-shirt. ("Stranger in a Strange Land")
- Cattle can be seen near the Flame. In Hinduism cattle are sacred. In the trailers for Season Four, a cow appears.
- Bernard talks to Jin about karma, a central concept of both hinduism and Buddhism.
Taoism
- The black and white theme is about duality, a central tenet of Taoism.
- The DHARMA logos feature symbols from the I Ching which is used as a divination method in Taoism.
- Tai Soo owns and believes in a "destiny book", which is a book of predictions and omens based on Taoist beliefs.
- Boone Carlyle wears a singlet featuring the number 84, which is a reference to Ying & Yang, a central tenet of Taoism.
- A yin-yang symbol appears in Juliet and Rachel's apartment. ("Not in Portland")
- The new logo for the Hanso Foundation looks like a stylized yin-yang symbol (The Lost Experience)
Ba'hai
- The book presented to John Locke in the test given to him by Richard Alpert is the Ba'hai Book of Law.
Mythologies
Greek
- Apollo
- The Apollo candy bar. Apollo was the Greek god of the sun, archery, medicine and music.
- Apollo was the child of Zeus and Leto. Hera, the wife of Zeus, found out Leto was pregnant and closed all lands to her. She found sanctuary on the newly formed floating island of Delos which because it wasn't really land was free from Hera's command. But Leto could not give birth because Hera would not let her daughter Ilithyia, goddess of childbirth go to Leto. No child could be born without her assistance. Hera was eventually tricked into letting her daughter to go Leto. Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were then born while the Island was surrounded by Swans.
- The Helios Foundation is a location in the book Bad Twin. Helios was one of the Titans, the gods that were overthrown and replaced by the Olympians. Specifically, he was the god of the sun, the precursor to Apollo.
- The hatch has been referenced by the writers as a metaphor for Pandora's Box. Locke tells Hurley that he believes "hope is inside".
- The name Cerberus is found on the Blast Door map. It may be the name for the Security System. Cerberus was the name of the three-headed dog that guarded the entrance of Hades, the Greek underworld.
- Penelope's name and relationship to seafaring hero Desmond are likely references to Homer's epic, the Odyssey.
- Persephone is the name both οf a character in the Lost Experience and daughter of Zeus and Demetra, the goddess of agriculture, in the Greek mythology. Persephone was kidnapped by Pluto, the god of Hades. Demetra was very angry and did not allow any crops to grow. Zeus decided to create a compromise between the two gods by allowing Persephone to live six months by her husband Pluto and six months by her mother Demetra. It's a clear myth of the circle of seasons and life and death.
- The Hydra, like Cerberus, was a monster that Hercules battled in his 12 Labors, and was another offspring of Typhon and Echidna. The myth states that Hydra had nine heads but the Dharma logo has only six. Each time Hercules cut one head, another two appeared in its place. Hercules' nephew Iolaos then scorched Hydra's wounds to finally kill the Monster, but his help resulted in another two labors being added to Hercules' list.
- The Hydra also appears in a story of Apollo. Apollo's bird captured the Hydra and attempted to blame it for the bird's own mistakes.
- The statue could be a reference to classical Greek sculpture.
- The Staff symbol is a caduceus, and was the staff of Hermes (often confused with the Rod of Asclepius). While the staff later belong to Hermes, it originally belonged to Apollo.
- Kronos is a fictional company shown in an ad in the soccer game Desmond is watching on television in a bar. Kronos is a titan, father of Zeus. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
- The medusa spider is so named for the paralytic quality of it's poison. Medusa was one of three monterous sisters, the Gorgons whose gaze turned people to stone.
Roman
- The animistic beliefs of the Etruscan ancestors of the Latins (who founded the Roman republic and empire) were predicated on the idea that all aspects of nature (including human acts) were controlled by spirits called "numina." These were thought for the most part to be insentient and limited in influence, guided instead by fate or destiny (order). It was not until the advent of Greek tradition that the pantheon of Roman gods were anthropomorphized.
- Some events on the Island appear to happen spontaneously but at crucial moments:
- Michael promises Walt to look for Vincent "as soon as the rain stops." Just as he finishes his sentence, the rain indeed stops. ("Tabula Rasa")
- Some events on the Island appear to happen spontaneously but at crucial moments:
- The Romans also engaged in ancestor or "genius" worship. They believed that once a person died, his or her spirit remained to protect and give strength to the family. Images of dead family members were made, kept, paid respect to, and passed down through generations as a way to connect to the gods and the mysteries of the universe.
- Families play an important role in Lost, with some appearances by deceased family members:
- Jack saw a specter of his father, Christian, which he later followed to the caves. ("Walkabout")
- Eko saw a specter of Yemi and followed it to his lethal encounter with the Monster. ("The Cost of Living")
- Families play an important role in Lost, with some appearances by deceased family members:
- Romans used augurs to read the flight of birds and determine whether a course of action already decided upon met with the approval of the gods. This was NOT a way to tell the future. Specific information of the methods used by augurs to produce auspices is limited, therefore making a reading of birds on Lost may not be possible.
- A large bird startles Jack, Locke, Kate, and Hurley in the Dark Territory shortly before the Monster attacks them. ("Exodus, Part 2")
- A similar bird startles Hurley, Sawyer, Jack, Michael, and Kate as they move through the jungle toward the Others' beach camp. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
- Claire sees a flock of seagulls and gets and idea to attach a message to one, in hopes that scientists studying the birds will find it. ("Par Avion")
- A flock of birds flies over Sayid, Locke, Kate, and Rousseau as they reach the barracks. ("Par Avion")
Egyptian
- The hieroglyphs on the timer are either red on black or black on red. In Egyptian mythology red is the color of chaos, destruction and evil.
- According to the producers, the hieroglyphs refer to the "Underworld".
Sumerian
- Gilgamesh (an answer in Locke's crossword puzzle) and Enkidu were heroes in the Sumerian epic, The Tale of Gilgamesh which many credit as the Mesopotamian equivalent of the Greek Heracles.
Norse
- Mikhail has lost an eye and has seemingly come back to life at least twice. The Norse god Odin gave his eye to drink from Mimir's Well of Wisdom to gain omniscience. Regarding his immortality, Odin hung from the World Tree, Yggdrasil for 9 days and nights, pierced by his own spear in order to find that very Well.
- Alvar Hanso's first name means elves, a magical creature in the norse mythology. There are elves in the other germanic mythologys too (including Anglo-Saxon), but seeing how Hanso is Danish it should be a refrence to the norse version.
Chinese
The Chinese calendar, specifically the Year of the Dragon, is referenced in the episode "Ji Yeong".
Other ideologies
Atheism
- The philosophers Mikhail Bakunin and Ayn Rand were both fervent atheists.
- David Hume and John Locke were both atheists, though not as fervent as the aforementioned.
Deism
- The philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a deist who claimed that the Christian doctrine of original sin was contrary to man's natural tendency toward good deeds.
Discordianism
New Age spirituality
- New Age ideologies borrow from a number of different naturalistic religious schools of thought, including Buddhism, Taoism, Shamanism & Aboriginal cultural veins discussed above.
- Richard Alpert is the birth name of Baba Ram Dass, a Hindu/New Age guru.
- Isaac of Uluru is a "spiritual healer" and lives and operates on a "place of power".
- The book Stranger in a Strange Land was the inspiration for the real life neo-pagan religion, the Church of All Worlds. ("Stranger in a Strange Land")
- Claire is a believer in Astrology and went to a professional psychic.
- Lynn Karnoff was shown reading tarot cards (Medieval Scapini deck) for Hurley.
- The Numbers, especially Hurley's reaction to them, evoke the belief of numerology which holds that numbers have power over one's fate.
- The Jeep ad at letyourcompassguideyou.com has an astrological zodiac at its center.
Cults
- A cult is defined as a (usually relatively small or new) non-mainstream group of people who share the same belief system. They are not usually as established as organized religions.
- The Helios Foundation mentioned in Bad Twin was a cult.
Freudianism
In Chapter I of his book, Civilization and Its Discontents, Sigmund Freud discusses a letter he recieved from his friend, the French novelist and mystic Romain Rolland. In this letter, Rolland describes what he calls the "Oceanic" feeling—a feeling of eternity, a deep and innate connection with all things, a "oneness" with the world. Rolland, a "man of faith," sees this oceanic feeling as being the primal source of all religion, but itself independent of any particular religion. Freud, an atheist and avowed "man of science," disagrees. While he admits that many people may experience this oceanic feeling, he locates its source not in some mystical feeling of connection, but in an infantile helplessness experienced when confronted with a hostile world and the subsequent longing for the protection and guidance of the father. For Freud, this oceanic feeling is "sustained by fear of the superior power of fate."
