Detailed Explanation
I've spent hours theorizing about Lumon's true purpose, and here's what we know: the severed employees perform "Macrodata Refinement" which involves sorting scary numbers into bins—but even they don't know what the data represents. Lumon was founded by Kier Eagan, whose teachings have religious overtones. The company has a "perpetuity wing" where the Eagan family may be preserved. Most disturbingly, they can revive people like Gemma and keep them in a severed state. My theory? Lumon is experimenting with consciousness itself, possibly working toward immortality. But the show hasn't confirmed anything yet.