So time travels faster on the island than in the real world. So what may feel like a month on the island could only be a week or even a day for the outside world.
I'm not 100% convinced that, as you stated it, is really true. It seems to be to a degree, but also seems to vary. I don't think there is a tried and true constant there. Only that due to the electromagnetic field of the island, time seems to be warped/changed in some ways and has some unusual properties we are only just beginning to understand.
Your consciousness can travel through time, forward or backward. Desmond was the only one who experienced this on and off the island until we met George on the ship.
Actually, speaking of time travel and this last episode, and your comments of consciousness being able to travel and thats it....did last week's episode have any familiar themes to it?
As I was watching it, I could only think of "War Without End" and their phrase "unstuck in time." As the episode was unfolding that is what I was saying was happening to these people. I was like --- same as with Babylon 4 --- he is unstuck in time. Then...later in the episode, they used that EXACT PHRASE. Faraday said that the rat and also Desmond were "unstuck in time." Funny that a concept from B5 ended up having to do with Lost in some way.
Not that I think the entire island plot is stolen from B5, but that concept of time was certainly present in a key plot point of B5. I also think its clear there is far more to the real story than that --- with Lost it is just a side effect. But the electromagnetic field has more time properties to be revealed --- and much more I'm sure.
Either way, to me was neat to be thinking that, then have them use that same phrase later in the episode.
So far Season 4 has been solid in each and every episode. Really liking Lost still. Really has been solid throughout except a few episodes early in Season 3...