What is the Agenda of the Manifestations?

[D-Roc]

In last seasons finale Ben warned Jack not to make that call (to the freighter) or "every living thing on this island will die". It was and can still be deduced that by "living thing", he meant people/things who were alive..and not the islands spirits or manifestations? Thus suggesting that even if the island were to be, say, 'torched', then the islands spirits - 'Christian', 'Jacob' and all of those who have died and been ressurected in 'spirit/manifestation-form' would continue to exist - as Charlie said 'I am dead, but i'm also here'.

So with this in mind why do the spirits/manifestation-type entities (Jacob, Christian etc) desperately want the island to survive? Why are they so bothered when seemingly they would continue to exist whatever happens?

I have got a few possible answers myself, but I wanted to jot this down as I hope to collate some good angles on this.

One potential answer could be that the manifestations/spirits would continue to exist but with reduced effect - perhaps their off-island reach would be diminished by a destroyed island? Perhaps they would become less 'real' and subsequently all but be dead both in mind and 'spirit'? Or maybe the island is the one entity of balance in the Universe and so the manifestations (and "natives"(?)) are sworn to protect it..maybe not for their own sake..but also for the rest of the world?

Perhaps the most likely answer is that in order for the dead to watch over their loved ones, the island is needed - perhaps the island ithe hub of all spirit/ghost-human contact and is needed to maintain this connection between our world and theirs..perhaps the only good thing about being dead is that you're still alive, just on the otherside, and to remove this would be like removing a slice of heaven?

Just musing.

*side note - I realise we are yet to have a definitive distingtion between island induced 'manifestation' and genuine 'spirit of the dead' - hence I use them interchangeably to prevent my own confusion.

[D-Roc]

It's also worth considering the "two sides" theme that has always run through the show. Perhaps each side wants different outcomes.