Hieronymus machine

Ok first off this may not belong in Big Theories but I did not know where else to post it.
Secoundly I researched this months ago but never got to post when LT went down.
Thirdly I was just reminded of this sci-fi creation while scanning LT.
Credit to DAVE from LOST-Theories.com for reminding me and his theory.


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Hieronymus machines were the ostensible invention of Dr. Thomas Galen Hieronymus (21 November 1895 – 1988). As explained mostly by Astounding Science Fiction editor John W. Campbell in late 1950s and early 1960s editorials, Hieronymus machines were mock-ups of real machines (patented by their inventor) which allegedly worked by analogy or symbolism, being directed by psi or ESP powers.
As an example, one could create a receiver or similar device, with prisms and vacuum tubes represented by their cardboard or even schematic representations. Through the use of mental powers, such a machine would function as would its “real” equivalent. Campbell claimed that such machines actually did perform this way, but the concept was never taken seriously elsewhere or followed through on in later years.

This machine which can be made out of cardboard and wire was invented by Dr. Thomas Galen Hieronymus, Campell challenged every teenage boy out there to make one and try it on there friends.
Basicly it is a pysichic conductor that can find anything or make things happen for its
opperator. It`s still used today by interviewing scientologits to "tune" new recruts.
What does this all have to do with lost you say, besides the name Hieronymus being used
on the show(Flashes before your eyes, its on a sign that reads Charlie Hieronymus Pace.
Well I belive the Others had and were using these machines when they took Walt and
this unlocked his powers.

Just another small tid bit from reality working on the show.

great finding
so charlie second name is Hieronymus?
i didnt know that

A good find Vincent, But I would love to see you follow this up further. I really am interested i stuff like this.

Oh and I think your deinatley on the right path as 'Hieronymus' is not a common English name.

Well the machine has been known to use electromagnetic pulses
much like the island.

It even has similarities to the black box as it can make anything
its user wants happen.

An other perspective:

Although almost too obvious to mention, Hieornymous Bosch was a Dutch artist. He painted many trippy triptychs (3 paneled paintings).

Charlie himself is a trippy person, predisposed to concern for his own moral failings. Many of the Dutch artist's pictures are concerned with this subject. The main thrust of the show concerns the subject tied and bound to his/her perspective (feel free to read the "Speculative System" post), and thus lost and erring. Charlie is bound to his trippy perspective, and he sees the world through his moral failings. Thus, "The Garden of Earthly Delights", the title of one of Bosch's paintings, turns into an absolute hell by the third panal of the tritych, because Bosch sees the Garden equally as Hell, equally as paradise. It is because Charlie sees the world through the perspective of moral failing that allows for redemption.

Was that sign showing Charlies name, showing us then, that the Charlie we saw in Desmonds time jump was a mock up and not the real thing? An illusion designed to convince Desmond of his path perhaps? Or just telling us the viewer, that it was not a real event?

Interesting find!

SunburnedPenguin wrote:Was that sign showing Charlies name, showing us then, that the Charlie we saw in Desmonds time jump was a mock up and not the real thing? An illusion designed to convince Desmond of his path perhaps? Or just telling us the viewer, that it was not a real event?

Interesting find!

I told you guys! "Flashes" Desmond didn't travel nowhere!!

lol Occam, I've always been on the fence with that one, never been entirely convinced that he went anywhere.......

Agreed SunnyP, this could have been things stirred up by Des's time travelling mind. So that then switches the subject of this theory to Desmond instead of Charlie.

Interesting.
I'm sure the name Hieronymus was not chosen at random. You don't pick a name like that without a reason, you pick a name like Bill or Fred, not Hieronymus.
And the referrence to the psychic machines seems as plausable a link to Lost as any I find for the name.

Vincent, the first picture that you posted, the one that looks like a snowglobe, is the exterior of the "The garden of earthly delights" triptych; the two panels cutting the snowglobe in half open outward. When you open the snowglobe, you end up with the three panels of the 4th picture from the top that you posted.

The shielded snowglobe, opens up into an island of symbolic imagery. "You all everybody" explains how symbolism works; the symbolic image is the creation of an individual who sees correspondence between the exterior world and interior individual. This representation works only because I and you through our perceptive faculties can relate to the image.

You open up the exterior to get to the interior, but even the relation of the individual to his/her own interior must go through a third relation; thus symbolic relation, thus you all everybody.

woah

woah, to quote Biffy, about sums it up!

This thread has looked at two possible meanings for the name Hieronymous. The good thing about Lost is that we can find relationships to the show from all sorts of views.

The thread began with a look at electronic device that requires no real electronic components just some circuit diagrams drawn on paper and attached to a box with a dial. The power supply is a series of batteries that are just drawn into the circuit. So I guess that saves money on battery replacements.

The box if it works, works because of the power of thought. It is an idea that often gets vocalised that if we believe something is true then we can cause it to be true. Although every time I buy a lotto ticket I believe that I have the winning ticket right up until the moment the numbers are drawn, then I realise I have a worthless piece of paper. Maybe I need to make a Hieronymous machine before I buy my next ticket.

I think that it does make a good connection to the show though. I think that the Island does use some people's thoughts and then it realises them. Although which person is actually doing the thinking, maybe it is all the thinking of Jacob?

Then we moved on to the artist Bosch, who seems to have a penchant for the religious and the surreal all in the one package.

One work, among his many, that has been examined is the work entitled The Garden of Earthly Delight. This is a strange unconventional work but it does tell a story.

The triptych depicts the history of the world and the progression of sin. Beginning on the outside shutters with the creation of the world, the story progresses from Adam and Eve and original sin on the left panel to the torments of hell, a dark, icy, yet fiery nightmarish vision, on the right. The Garden of Delights in the center illustrates a world deeply engaged in sinful pleasures.

Source:http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/bosch/delight/

The outside of this piece of art, shows a view of the world and the universe that was the basic understanding when the Torah was written. The ideas that the Book of Genesis contains and elaborates on in the creation of the world.



One notices that the world during creation seems pretty dull, with very little life, until the artwork is opened and we see the creation of Adam and Eve, a world that is colourful but at the same time is surrounded by death and survival. Adam and Eve are blissfull while around them the animals are killing and eating each other!

The tryptich shows further as we move from left to right the changes and transition from a peaceful pair of humans to a whole lot of people being tortured in the underworld.



It is a pretty dark history of the world. How does this relate to Lost. Goodness knows!

Maybe the island is also some form of perfect garden that has been corrupted by sin and that somehow, if the final frame or hell is to be avoided then somethings need to be changed.

An interesting discussion that has introduced me to an artist I had never heard of and a box that uses paper circuits to run an electronics device.

I have expanded my knowledge, which can only be a good thing!

Stitch

Charle is depicted as having visions. Often these dreams use religious symbolism; some are pure horror show. Wasn't there also a dream Charlie that depicted a Christmas morning, that started out normal, ending in his older brother wearning diapers. Point being that the through the symbol, the ordinary is cracked open, and hermenutic meaning can be extracted (if the viewer decides to play the game).





What is symbolism? Im sure you could do a little nifty wikipedia research and come up with an adequate definition, but to me it is an individual relation to experience represented though medium. Because the experience is reduced or filtered through subjective perception, the meaning is often hermenutic, buried, hidden, requiring a third party viewing the symbol to interact with the symbol. This might mean that the third party experiencing the symbol necessarily creates new meaning. (This does not prevent standard interpretations imposed upon symblols.)

Bosch creates through symbolism; Charlie sees in symbolism, his character is controlled by his own, drug controlled, perception. The Cartesian divorce of the subjective from objective is complete.

(N.B., as an example of how authority can control symbolic meaning; Locke tries to control his 'deviant' perception, by imposing his perception on Charlie's, he sees Charlie with his eyes and requires conforming behavior according to his view).

What does this have to do with lost?

It is the essence of lost; to be lost in one's subjective perception; to be detached from objective meaning; both for the Losties, and the audience.

cheers vincent your post & the whole thread was most interesting, I haven't seen this covered before.

Thanks Solarchap.
Great to have you back!

Great thread

Agreed, this was a great post and followed up with really interesting comments and I loved the art and illustrations.
Great job Vincent +1

Thanks guys! You all made it interesting with your thoughts and insite.