Lost!

[Disneyphile]

Did anyone happen to take a very close look (i.e. pause) at the large hieroglyph at the back of the lower temple where Ben encountered Smokey for "judgement"?

It depicts Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, who is kneeling to Smokey, presenting him with an offering, most likely a soul.

Also, remember when the woman asked Lipidus, "What lies at the shadow of the statue?"... well, take a look at this wiki entry about the Egyptian belief of shadows: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_soul.

This further reinforces my theories about the Atlantis/Egypt mythology being the basis of the whole "mystery".

However, I totally won't rule out the possibility that the island itself is the underworld. (Smokey being the cumulative energy of the harvested souls.)

Also, ever notice how Richard seems timeless (even perhaps immortal)... and he has a LOT of eyeliner... take a look at the heiroglyph of the eye of Horus (king of the gods on earth), the son of Osiris, who is the other Egyptian god of the underworld. Richard just might be Horus...

Which brings us to Ken's theory:

The island is the gateway to the underworld, where souls are judged, as depicted in the hieroglyphs in the temple, and as we witnessed via Smokey and Ben.