When Hurley decides they must talk to locke, he sees Michael and askes him if hes stuck there to which he replies yes. And suddenly the whispers in t he forest are not so mysterious, they are all people who for some reason or other are stuck there and cannot move on.

The I sland is pergatory is one of the first assumptions that came up in Season 1 when it became apparent that the island isn't just an island. If it turns out to be that, I'd say it would be kind of disappointing. Since it is such an obvious answer.

The island is real time and the other world is those who have died. Purgatory is the other time and they are be put there as thanks for coming to the island. Richard is the only one we have not seen in the other world. so he does not die on the island and is the last one left. when the dead one remember what happen the will go to heaven. and the island story will go on with new peolpe..

Ok, there are 3 timelines you say, the island is now, the life the passengers led prior to boarding Oceanic 815 is then and the future is whatever like their karma....but its more than that i hope to. Personally i think its a game. And LOST means someone won...

I would say that it's hell. Micheal is being punished there because of what he did. He says hes there with all the others who "can't move on". I think it would be a whole lot better for that to be the answer for it to just kind of be... LAME

I agree that the island is Purgatory. Everyone died in the crash and had to work out all their personal issues before moving on to heaven. As Jacob said in the next to last episode, each of you is lost and searching to find yourself like me. That is why you are the "candidates" to replace me as protector of the island.

Ok if the Island is Purgatory, and they all died at the crash, how the Dharma came on the sub at the Purgatory? And how the physicist Daniel found a way to stop time travel? What religion has a section in time travel? please...

Looks like JediKnight was right on. Good job.

Well, Jedi was mostly correct. The altverse was purgatory, the island was real. But you get to the altverse regardless of where you died, as evidenced by Sawyer, Kate, Penny and some others who were there who got off the island.

But what about Ben and Hurley? Ben didn`t came into the church...Hurley is the new protector of the island and Ben is number two. And they said to each other you are great No 1, yes and you are great No 2. So if Ben is alive and he is still No 2, and Hurley No 1, why did Hurley went into church?