Yeah, it would be useful to unravel which of these entities is
Jacob, which is
Smokey, which is the
Island and which are the actual
spirits of the dead themselves. I do (still) believe that all three have been depicted on Lost - with the spirit's of the dead either appearing as the whispers or as the less 'threatening' island advisors (like young Ben's vision of his mother perhaps).
Your example of Charlie appearing to Hugo is an interesting one, because it would suggest that Charlie was infact the island manifesting to Hugo..OR that the the spirit of Charlie visited Hugo on
behalf of the island, and thus validating the need to go back, just as he validated the need to not allow the frieghter people onto the island, moments before his death.
As I said, i've long believed that the manifestations are from various sources, but it's interesting to consider whether these sources will or have ever
collaborated or batted for the same side, as Charlie's spirit may well be doing with the island (by asking Hugo to 'go back'), and as the spirit of Christian Shepherd may well have been doing with Jacob..
