AZYooper said...
SPOILER
The island was real. Jack died saving the island and the world(?). Hurley and Ben died later at some point after guarding the island.Those that died earlier were really dead. They were all dead at an undetermined time in the future when they saw the light in the church.The parallel universe was a purgatory/limbo and not real.
Not sure why Miles, Frank, Michael, Walt, Daniel,Charlotte and Ben weren't in the church? Ben didn't want to go in..maybe they had issues yet or had other more important times in their lives?
Ben felt too guilty to go in yet. He was a better person in the alternative world than he had been when he was alive. Plus, he needs to resolve things with his daughter and her mother. They will probably go together at a later time. Michael and Walt couldn't make it, because the actors are probably doing other things, either that or Michael and Walt already past over. Desmond said he wouldn't take Daniel with him; so that's why Daniel and Charlotte weren't there. Miles and Frank will probably go to the church and pass over some other day. Perhaps there are other people who they were close to when they were alive that they haven't connected with yet.
The collective conscienceness changes depending on who is in it. In other words, the alternative world keeps changing depending on who is dead and hasn't crossed over yet.