Did Ben Age During Time-Travel?

[D-Roc]

I was going to post this in the Shape of Things to Come episode forum, but seeing as I wont get a definitive answer until S5 or 6, I'll post it here.

Anyhoo,

Something that I think is key to our understanding of some of the potential upcoming themes in LOST, is whether or not Ben 'aged' when he time-travelled from the island to Tunisia (via the turning of the FDW).

Now I'm of the opinion that Ben travelled forward in time by 10 months, as the receptionist at the hotel told him that it was October. So in what I presume was a heartbeat from his perspective, was actually 10 months in 'time' perspective. Of course I have issues over the merits of 'time' itself and whether it even exists in reality, but putting that aside for a moment, are we supposed to believe that by not experiencing 10 months worth of time, Ben still aged 10 months worth of time?

The reason why I'm wondering this is in part due to my keen interest in Alpert's seeming preserved state of age, Faraday's connection to time-travel with Desmond as his constant, and the possibility that Charlotte Staples Lewis (CSL) was born on the island (among other tangents).

Anyone have any opinions on whether or not Ben had 'aged' after turning the wheel underneath the Vault/Orchid?

*I should clarify, that by 'did Ben age', i'm not talking about him ageing from arriving in Tunisia onwards (as the make-up dept. clearly show that time has affected his age in his flash-forward scenes with Sayid and Jack)..but rather, did Ben age 'in-between' turning the wheel and arriving in Tunisia. Because effectively he went forward in time, but didn't exist in that time for 10 months..

[Our Mutual Friend]

I'm pretty sure it was an instantaneous 'leap through time' so to speak.
He still had his cut and breathed out cold air when he appeared in the desert.

[D-Roc]

Fantastic point about the cut! - i'll have to go back and check that.

If you're right then that would certainly point towards him not having aged 10 months during the leap.

The cold air aspect is also a good point, one that I had considered previously, but didn't think it conclusively inferred whether he had or hadn't aged. But the cut, now that is tied to his body and if it didn't seal or scab over, then it would point to him having not have aged during the leap.


This is good news as it potentially allows for some pointers to the aspects mentioned in my OP

[D-Roc]

Of course! The cut on his arm! I thought you was referring to a cut on his face or something, I totally didn't realise you were referring to the cut his suffered on his arm from falling off the ladder:


Eitherway, it's still a good shout, as I initially took the point of the arm gash as being to reference the fact that he had just TT'd from the Orchid. But it also illustrates that his leap was instantaneous, as you mentioned.

Now I'm going to try to use this information to unravel some of the mystery behind Alpert and possibly CSL. heck, even Locke, seeing as he must have moved the wheel (hence time-travelled) to have left the island.

I mean, if time-travel prevents a person from ageing, then that's a pretty big reveal for this show