Suppose however that it is reality, well "a" reality. The clue is the scene aboard Oceanic 815 when Jack looks out the window and the camera swoops down underwater showing the Island now lying at the bottom of the Pacific ocean.
A truly massive event had taken place many years ago resulting in this 'alternate reality". That event is of course the detonation of the hydrogen bomb at the end of season 5. The detonation of the hydrogen bomb is without any doubt the most pivotal single event in the whole story.
We then see a slice if the lives of the characters with subtle and major differences between the two realities. Of course without the Island and presumably Jacob pushing our characters inexorably toward the Island, their lives take different paths.
But if the hydrogen bomb exploded in 1977, why do we still see characters who should have parished in that catastrophe? We have Eloise Hawking, Charles Whit more and Ben Linus. Obviously there's a twist here.
The detonation of the bomb coincides precisely with the release of energy from the "pocket" in the wiukd-be Swan station. This results in the split of the timeline.
In one timeline, we have the continuation of the familiar existing reality which we have seen through 5 seasons but without the hydrogen bomb. In this reality, all the events that we have seen happened did happen. But of course the most important thing here is our characters are propelled 30 years into the future to 2007.
While in the other timeline, the bomb is propelled many years back in time detonating and destroying the Island . It is then that the alternate reality begins.This reality began so long ago that Eloise, Charles and Ben never went to the Island.
Events proceed rapidly in this alternate reality symbolized by the birth of Arron. There seems to be an urgency here.
With the various characters becoming aware of themselves in the other reality, Desmond, thanks to his special ability, "feels" it most strongly. He then begins to push the others toward one another, awareness of their existance in the other reality and the church .
Desmond is really the Jacob of this reality. A less subtle version of Jacob maybe. His lack of subtlety is probably because of the urgency in the air. After all he doesn't have hundreds of years that Jacob had .
It is important to understand that our heroes are simply being aware of their conciousnesses in the other reality. When Jack in the church, realizes that he is dead, he is not refering to himself right there and then. He is in fact refering to himself in the other reality where he sacrifices himself for the Island.
So when Hugo and Ben were complimenting each other on being good numbers one and two, they were talking about themselves in the future of the other reality. Meanwhile Ben is sitting outside the church, deep in thought, because he is now aware of what a terrible man he is in the other reality.
But what is so urgent here? Desmond is so determined to push our heroes toward the church. So is the church just a miniature version of the Island? Surely it's not just a place to hold the funeral.
Or is it just a focal point for the various characters to make contact and fulfil their destiny? In other words, just another hum-drum love-story happy ending?
I'm convinced that everything in this timeline is real. I think they are gathered at the church to begin a new journey. A journey that will take them into another battle of good versus evil. After all that is the overiding theme of the story.
