A Neuroscientific Look at Speaking in Tongues

New York Times ^ | 11/09/2006 | BENEDICT CAREY

[SirLinksalot]

The passionate, sometimes rhythmic, language-like patter that pours forth from religious people who “speak in tongues” reflects a state of mental possession, many of them say. Now they have some neuroscience to back them up.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania took brain images of five women while they spoke in tongues and found that their frontal lobes — the thinking, willful part of the brain through which people control what they do — were relatively quiet, as were the language centers. The regions involved in maintaining self-consciousness were active. The women were not in blind trances, and it was unclear which region was driving the behavior.

The images, appearing in the current issue of the journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, pinpoint the most active areas of the brain. The images are the first of their kind taken during this spoken religious practice, which has roots in the Old and New Testaments and in charismatic churches established in the United States around the turn of the 19th century. The women in the study were healthy, active churchgoers.

“The amazing thing was how the images supported people’s interpretation of what was happening,” said Dr. Andrew B. Newberg, leader of the study team, which included Donna Morgan, Nancy Wintering and Mark Waldman. “The way they describe it, and what they believe, is that God is talking through them,” he said.

In the study, the researchers used imaging techniques to track changes in blood flow in each woman’s brain in two conditions, once as she sang a gospel song and again while speaking in tongues. By comparing the patterns created by these two emotional, devotional activities, the researchers could pinpoint blood-flow peaks and valleys unique to speaking in tongues.

[jrg]

mmmnnnnhhhh

My name is Mike.

aahahdsngehshgne

I clean pools for a living. It's really hard work.

[Red Badger]

DO YOU? I know a resort that needs a good pools cleaner.......

[Old Professer]

Wasn't that the guy who ran around for ten minutes before his brain recognized his heart wasn't beating?

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Is the stuff these people say supposed to be in real, forgotten languages according to Christian beliefs? Or is it generally acknowledged to be just gibberish? And why is "speaking in tongues" associated with Christianity at all?

[standingfirm]

You must not know the Book of Acts or the New Testament. Speaking in toungues is one of the so-called "gifts" of the spirit when one is saved or born again. Technically, it is not a "gift" in itself, rather a "manifestation or evidence" of the Gift, eternal life, or holy spirit born within. Among other manifestations are the abilitiy to heal, work miracles, etc. These were operated freely in the early church and there have been "revivals" of this spritual awakening up thru today's church.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Why is the NYT associated with news or science?

Either we are equal or we are not. Good people should be armed where they will, with wits and guns. NRA KMA

[Domandred]

On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied

On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. --Acts 19: 5-6

[Domandred]

Bah copy/pasted wrong. Quote was supposed to be "why is speaking in toungues associated with Christianity?"

[svcw]

"Tongues" is mentioned in the Bible as a gift of the spirit (Holy). It comes in two forms personal worship and prophecy. I had a linguists tell me the form is a language but he did not know, except it was similar to Aramaic.

[standingfirm]

To answer your question, the languages are very real. The new testament talks specifically about the languages being of men or of angels(spirit beings). (Yes angels are real and they have their own languages). It also says that what one is speaking is not known to the speaker, but to God. "Divine secrets", "perfect prayer" "intercession for the saints" (other Christians alive today) are all descriptions of what speaking in tongues is.

[agere_contra]

I speak in tongues. I have no doubt that it is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

What it isn't is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is not compassion or fortitude or saving grace. It will not in itself save my immortal soul - it is what it is. A gift.

[billybudd]

I've wondered about that before. When the Bible mentions speaking in "tongues", I would assume it means that people spoke all kinds of foreign languages when they congregated, rather than just Greek. When did the concept of spewing gibberish arise?

[GOP Poet]

How cool is that as a gift? I know all gifts come with some, well, drawbacks, but I still think it is a cool one.

Years ago when I was a young pup (16) one night someone's car at our health club, just wouldn't get started. This one woman tried everything it was late at night, she was an elderly woman, it was in the middle of a snow storm and she gave up and went to call AAA and an older couple that we all knew and loved went out and prayed in tongues over her engine and sure as day it started right up.

We all (not the older couple) laughed it off as coincidence as everyone mostly does, but as you know there are no coincidences in God's world. See it enough times, you just start to believe. At least I did.

[brwnsuga]

except it was similar to Aramaic

I have heard people pray in the Spirit before and they have all sounded different, so how could it only be one type of language? Well, whatever it is G-d understands it.

[SirLinksalot]

To answer your question, the languages are very real

1) Do those who speak this "real" language know what the meaning of the words they're saying are ? After all, the apostles who did speak in tongues in Acts chapter 2, spoke in a language people who heard could understand --- SEE ACTS 2:9-11 "Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!".

2) If the answer is yes -- Is it an earthly language like the ones presented in Acts 2 ?

3) If the answer is no, it must be an Angelic language. Next question --- can we determine the grammar of the language ? We should be able to, after all, St. Paul tells us that those who speak in tongues in church better have an interpreter. If you can interprete, it goes without saying that you understand the grammar, sentence and structure of the words. If so, we might possibly publish a book of Angelic grammar.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

[ibheath]

bump for later reference

[CottShop]

neuroscience shmueroscience- I bought a bunch of cow tongues and still couldn't speak anohter language.

Christian news and commentary at: sacredscoop.com ...

[Kenny Bunk]

Wasn't this gift of the Holy Ghost intended to help the apostles speak to all nations?

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I had a linguists tell me the form is a language but he did not know, except it was similar to Aramaic.

So it is recognizable as a language, and all people who "speak in tongues" are uttering words from the same Aramaic-like language - or even different, legitimate (though perhaps long-dead) languages? Fascinating if true, but I'd love to see the proof. If so, it should be possible to construct a full understanding of the languages and their rules by monitoring these people.