I don't think it ever stopped being a real place and started being purgatory. I think the island is a fucked up place on earth on the show, and it still is right now. Once people die on the island, they go back to their normal lives and walk around trying to sew up their issues (the flash sideways shit). The fact that these flash sideways were shown alongside the action on the island as we watched the show is just them fucking with us. It really all happened after the person died on the island. In fact, we have no bearing on how the two timelines work together...except for the fact that they imply that Jack was the last person to tie up his loose ends (since everyone was already waiting for him in the church). In other words, even though he wasn't the last to die, those that left the island perhaps went on to live long lives after they returned...but then they died and immediately were ready to cross over. They all just waited for Jack so they could go together.
More fucked up shit: Locke telling Jack that he doesn't have a son. The theory here is that he doesn't have a son...that, in his purgatory shit, Jack replaced the dog (his buddy) with a son. That's the significance of the dog laying beside him as he died. Not sure that makes sense, but I kinda like it anyway.
But yeah, this all means that back Locke (man in black) and Jacob and all their bullshit was real and that the island just is magical. That when the island lost its power for a bit after Desmond did his thing, bad Locke became human again and Richard started aging. Personally, I don't like that because it's so supernatural and shit that it shouldn't be part of reality...but w/e.
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