Jenna from Survivor...

[King of the Americas]

...'feels' her mother is getting worse, and quits the game to be with her.

8 days later her mother passes.

ESP...?

Paranormal...?

Or just the realization of a bad decision...?

I mean her mother DID have Cancer before Jenna ever said she'd play the game, and wasn't initially doing 'well'.

I found the episode to be auspecious, but not supernatural even though it was a little spooky.

[Ipecac]

From what she said on the island, it's clear that her mother was unconscious BEFORE Jenna left for Survivor. I don't think it's unusual for someone with terminal cancer who's already unconscious to be within days of dying. Jenna obviously knows this.

Despite her "feeling", I don't think it's mysterious at all that she realized she had made a bad decision to come on the show.

[Clancie]

Her mother was apparently in a hospice when she left, so "getting worse" is a given. You only are eligible for hospice when a doctor says you have six months or less to live.

[c0rbin]

If by ESP you mean Editing Specific Parts of a recording to make it say what ever you think will get people to plant their ases infront of the tube.

This is the nature of television and why John Edward made his bucks without actually having to use smoke or mirrors.

Turn. It. Off.

[Hand Bent Spoon]

Originally posted by King of the Americas
...'feels' her mother is getting worse, and quits the game to be with her.


I've only watched the first season of Survivor, but I remember Jenna being a lovely, aimiable girl. Sorry to hear about her mother. And it doesn't take ESP to know someone with that serious a case of cancer isn't long for this world.:(

[TruthSeeker]

I finally watched this episode (yes, I taped it. Yes, I'm embarrassed). I agree that it was edited to play up the drama and who knows what the "real" events were like.

However, with great fear of being labelled a woo-woo, I see stuff like this from time to time. I work in palliative care. Patients' loved ones get "feelings" even if they don't know the person is ill. More than once, an old, long lost love suddenly tracks down a patient because they had a 'feeling' something was wrong and the patient says they've been thinking about that person.

Much more common is the "control" over time of death. People wait until after a holiday or special occasion or until they get home or until their kids go home (and they tell you ahead of time that is what they are doing) and then they die.

I know there are probably logical ways to explain all of this, but nobody (that I know of, at least) has tried to look at this in a systematic way. My sense is that it happens to frequently and specifically too be coincidence or that I am overlooking all the times it doesn't happen. Not sure. Call me a nut, if you must.

[Ipecac]

You've put your finger on it. You remember the hits and forget the misses. Plus, it's not a controlled environment. Someone may have mentioned to the concerned relative that so and so is ill.

I would imagine that some people have control over the time of their death as you've described because they have something to look forward to and this keeps them going. Once the event is over, they're ready to give up. Humans can be stubborn sometimes. :)

[TruthSeeker]

Originally posted by Ipecac
You've put your finger on it. You remember the hits and forget the misses. Plus, it's not a controlled environment. Someone may have mentioned to the concerned relative that so and so is ill.

I would imagine that some people have control over the time of their death as you've described because they have something to look forward to and this keeps them going. Once the event is over, they're ready to give up. Humans can be stubborn sometimes. :)


Yes, exactly. The hits are so dramatic and touching.


WHat intrigues me is the giving up. I wonder what happens physiologically when a person gives up hope and the will to live. This is actually something I am conducting a study on in patients with terminal cancer. As soon as I know....

[Stereolab]

Originally posted by Hand Bent Spoon


I've only watched the first season of Survivor, but I remember Jenna being a lovely, aimiable girl. Sorry to hear about her mother. And it doesn't take ESP to know someone with that serious a case of cancer isn't long for this world.:(

Jenna Morasca is the Survivor whose mother died. That Jenna won Survivor 6.

The Jenna you remember is Jenna Lewis. She is actually also on All Stars--and she is not so lovely nor amiable this time around! But she's still OK I guess.

[!Xx+-Rational-+xX!]

I challenge skeptics to come up with a very creative natural explanation with this one!

:run: :k: :big:

[Zep]

Originally posted by !Xx+-Rational-+xX!
I challenge skeptics to come up with a very creative natural explanation with this one!

:run: :k: :big: She was smothered by...a towel!!!

[!Xx+-Rational-+xX!]

Originally posted by Zep
She was smothered by...a towel!!!

Now that is billions of times more likely then any insane supernatural explanation!

[Thanz]

Originally posted by King of the Americas
Or just the realization of a bad decision...?

I think this is the case. Her mom had cancer, she went anyway, and it preyed on her mind. She started to imagine the worst. And it was, in fact, true.

I'd heard about her leaving before the show started, and it was allways connected to her mom's death. However, the gossip beforehand had her leaving because her mom died - not before. I thought that the decision to go on the show (after she had already won the million once) while her mom was dying was unbelievably self centered. I am glad she realized just how bad a decision that was.

[Dragonrock]

It actually made me a bit angry that she went to begin with. She knew her mother was dying but she couldn't pass up a chance to be on TV.

Rather a sad demonstration of the power the idiot box has over us.

[Stereolab]

I am no Jenna fan, but she said she went on the show again because her mother still wanted her to do it. I believe her.

[!Xx+-Rational-+xX!]

Some of you may remember my sig from when I first joined that said “Soon to be banned for being too rational”! Obviously this prediction never came true! Thankfully this adds to the mountains of proof against psychic predictions!