I have posted this Theory on a couple of Forums I'm looking for some feedback so if you would be so kind Here we go.

I believe that the Dharma/Hanso Foundation have either sold or given the island to a Cult Sect, this Sect have taken over the island to be away from everyone who are not "GOOD PEOPLE" and start their own community.
I believe that this sect have a network of people in the real world spotting for potential new members who are predetermined as “Good People” (like with Claire).
By a culmination of different pre-planned and organised disasters and events these potential unwitting new members are place together onto the same carefully selected plane (who knows maybe owned by the Dharma/Hanso Foundation) that has been fitted with a device to send it off course and over the island so that the sect can crash it. Once the plane has crashed the sect wait for the survivors and take their potential new members.
The rest of the survivors who have not been selected (the poor souls whom are on the same flight by coincidence) are left to live on the island, should any of the female survivors become pregnant the sect wait and then take/harvest the newborn children.
As with most Cult Sects children are seen as good not only for their innocents but because their minds are young, impressionable and can be easily reprogrammed.
All this being said there is possibly more than one group of survivors from more than one crash so more than one group of “Others” roaming the island but only one Cult Sect whom run the island and have any link with the outside world.
Also just think about this: If a Qantas flight went down they would not rest until the plane or what was left was found because of the bad publicity but the Dharma/ Hanso boys well after so long it would just be a "sorry" and a bit of a payout to the families left behind.
To the outside world these people have been Lost.

Now I know some of the questions that may arise and have arisen so far;[/g]
Q) Why would Dharma /Hanso handover the Island to a bunch of mad Culties?
A) Well I believe that they are both Dharma /Hanso and the Cult are together (if not the same) in a common cause to survive what they believe is a virus infecting and destroying the world that virus is us Humans.
Q) How did they allow for the survival of the 'chosen'?
A) I believe that they placed the chosen ones in the tail of the plane and in other areas they knew would survive the crash (maybe this was another test for the chosen if they perished then to the Cult it’s not written, meant to be or they wouldn’t make true believers anyway).

Any thoughts?

Welcome to the boards! Certainly a theory I have not heard explored from this angle before! Anything is possible, right?

On one of your questions - about the crash and the guaranteed survival, have you considered that maybe the 'crash' was an engineered hypnotic event, elaborately staged to create the belief and sensation of a crash, right down to injuries and fatalities of 'unimportant' travelers? That is something I used to think, especially when Ethan harbored an interest in Claire and kidnapped her, presumably for the baby. Obviously those on the island, cult or no cult, want these survivors and presumably were aware (and planning for), their arrival onto the island.

One other thing is that in the final episode Desmond believed he caused the crash of  flight 815 and that event seemed to random to be planed. ie what if Desmond had not become curious and left the hatch?

Good point, bcool. With the revelation that it seems Desmond caused it, how can we fit in the "they were brought there" consipracy?

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bcool wrote : One other thing is that in the final episode Desmond believed he caused the crash of  flight 815 and that event seemed to random to be planed. ie what if Desmond had not become curious and left the hatch?

Simple answer around this: The flight was scheduled to 'crash' but Desmond now just thinks he has caused it since it coincided with the button not being pushed. Syncronocity at work indeed!

[couleur=#464600]I have been thinking it is like total recall, virtual reality, and that in itself is the experiment hanso is doing. the problem is i am thinking if you die in the virtual reality do u die in life or do you just exit??? their memories could be false too which would explain why they are in each others memories. just a thought.

I'm not sure I buy the Cult theory but if it was the real crux behind the should FSB, your observations make sense.

Also you tend to see things in your "memory" and "reality" which are programmed to be there, as in the Matrix, remember?

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FunShine Bear wrote : [couleur=#464600]I have been thinking it is like total recall, virtual reality, and that in itself is the experiment hanso is doing. the problem is i am thinking if you die in the virtual reality do u die in life or do you just exit??? their memories could be false too which would explain why they are in each others memories. just a thought.

Welcome to my forum FSB!!! Long time noe see!