»What it felt like«

In the second film, after Neo escapes from Smith's trap, he tells the crew that what happened "felt like dying", then in the third film, after Smith is succesful at the task, Neo appears to be dead. However, it seems as though everybody else is fine (though no humans are seen to have recovered, only programs...), so how does it all work then?

There is one thoery I like here: Neo didn't die, he was taken to the source to reload the Matrix, and either the process of reloading killed him (or somehow removed him from view), or the film just doesn't show him afterwards.

i think all that happend to him at the scource is that his code got re-inserted, there is no proof either way if he is dead or not. soo... thats pretty rmpant speculation

I realise that what I suggested is not shown anywhere, that is why it is just a theory... (I forgot to say so), I just want to hear what others theories are out there. I think that Neo wasn't dead (yet) and he was taken away to the source to reload the matrix, but I can't say if he is dead or alive, I just want to hear some theories from others.
By the way, there could be ideas expressed in the films that give you an idea what happened to Neo.

mabye, all the humans went to a place like the construct or a "back up" matrix. if they woke up in the pods, that would be rather messy for the machines. my guess is that the machines thought o this and created a back up matrix thats not as well made. the humans are there and just havent been reloaded into the matrix yet. just a theory. feel free to shut down!

(oh hey look at that 200 posts!)

CONGRATULATIONS SMITH 200

Celebrate...it's inevitable...

The human pods survived in the end because there were no cataclysmic system crash, as the one did his function and reloaded. So humans still in pods have a choice to be free if they want, as was promised.

As far as Neo, it's anyone's guess. We definitely know the one will be back, because that is his function to reload, and sooner or later it must be reloaded because the Matrix is not perfect and will never be perfect. But the question is : Will it be in the form of Neo? to be continue....

My teeny weeny theory is that the machines reinserted Neo's code into the source and then just left him to die or killed him. I think this way because of this:
- Why would he want to go on living without Trinity
- The code was reinserted, he had no more purpose
- He was blind
- Why would the machines want to have Neo waking up lots of people, the Architect said he would let those that wanted to be awakened to be free, but why let the One live and wake as much people as he wanted.

I also like the backup idea, although Neo said something like it felt like dying but that doesn't mean he was.

Just my thoughts.