City of Light

Not much is known yet about the City of Light except that it appears to be a non-physical location or a location on another plane of existence.

The City of Light is seemingly reached through the subconscious—through A.L.I.E. or meditation—after ingesting a chip bearing an infinity sign (or what Grounders referred to as the sacred symbol).

Throughout the Series

 * -|Season Two=


 * -|Season Three=

Key to the City of Light
The Key to the City of Light is a silicon-based device. Once a person ingests it, the filaments reconstitute in the brain stem and interrupts pain receptors, inhibiting certain neural pathways from firing. It is a device that allows them to communicate with A.L.I.E. and to experience the City of Light. However, while the device eliminates the ability to feel physical pain, it would appear that it also eliminates any memories that might link to painful ones when dealing with psychological damage; after becoming connected to the City of Light, Thelonious Jaha had to be reminded of Wells Jaha by A.L.I.E., suggesting that his use of the Key has erased the memory of his son's existence to spare him the pain of his death, an idea that is reinforced when Raven Reyes realises while being questioned by Jasper Jordan that she has lost even the good memories of Finn following his death.

Known Affected

 * Thelonious Jaha
 * Gideon†
 * Otan†
 * Raven Reyes  (former - removed the chip)
 * Jackson
 * Abigail Griffin
 * David Miller
 * Hannah† (former - digital copy deleted from ALIE code by Monty)
 * Most of the population of Arkadia
 * Most of the population of Polis
 * Ontari
 * Emori
 * Marcus Kane
 * Jasper Jordan

Quotes

 * Sienne: "This is the Dead Zone, on the way to the City of Light."
 * -- Many Happy Returns


 * Thelonious Jaha: "I heard of a place. A City of Light. It's across the Dead Zone."
 * -- Long Into an Abyss


 * Thelonious Jaha: "There is a place for all of us. When I first landed on the Earth, I met a woman who spoke of a place beyond the Dead Zone, a place where everyone is accepted, a City of Light."
 * -- Survival of the Fittest


 * Emori: "Everyone in the Dead Zone is looking for the City of Light. Almost no one finds it."
 * -- Rubicon


 * Thelonious Jaha: "We need a boat and a boat appears. This is our destiny. The City of Light is out there and we are gonna find it. Now, get in the boat."
 * -- Bodyguard of Lies


 * Thelonious Jaha: "How does an Island of Light sound to you, John, huh?"
 * -- Blood Must Have Blood (Part 2)


 * Thelonious Jaha (offering Murphy the opportunity to experience the City of Light): "No pain, no hate, no envy."
 * Murphy: "No thanks."
 * Thelonious Jaha: "John."
 * Murphy: "No. Pain, hate, envy...those are the ABC's of me. Hey, get rid of them, and there's nothing left."
 * -- Wanheda (Part 1)


 * Gideon: "There is no pain in the City of Light."
 * -- Wanheda (Part 2)

Notes and Trivia

 * "Many Happy Returns" features the first mention of the City of Light.
 * The Dead Zone is on the way to the City of Light.
 * There were initially a few possibilities of what it could be:
 * The Solar Panel field encountered by Thelonious Jaha, John Murphy, and the remaining desert pilgrims.
 * The Lighthouse and A.L.I.E.'s mansion
 * A.L.I.E her/itself
 * Jaha has claimed that, once someone enters the City of Light, they become essentially immortal, as their minds will continue in the City of Light even with the deaths of their bodies. However, once Raven was released from the City of Light, she stated that this idea "depends on what you call 'alive'", raising questions about the nature of the City of Light and its ability to recreate the human mind.