Speaking in Tongues

[Daniel]

I've always wondered what happens in the brain when one speaks in tongues. And lo and behold, there is an article in this morning's paper.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/he...=1&oref=slogin

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.

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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.

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The new findings contrasted sharply with images taken of other spiritually inspired mental states like meditation, which is often a highly focused mental exercise, activating the frontal lobes.

The scans also showed a dip in the activity of a region called the left caudate. “The findings from the frontal lobes are very clear, and make sense, but the caudate is usually active when you have positive affect, pleasure, positive emotions,” said Dr. James A. Coan, a psychologist at the University of Virginia. “So it’s not so clear what that finding says” about speaking in tongues.

The caudate area is also involved in motor and emotional control, Dr. Newberg said, so it may be that practitioners, while mindful of their circumstances, nonetheless cede some control over their bodies and emotions.

Being someone who mediates and who can also swing into speaking in tongues at the drop of a hat, I can say from experience that there is a difference in feeling between the two activities. Now I know why.

What's it all add up to? You got me. But a few thoughts comes to mind.

The matter of a drop of activity in the caudate suggests to this reader that (are the scientists being polite here?) the activity is itself is lacking something, meditation being, as the scientists put it, "a highly focused mental exercise", one that activates the part of the brain that has a measurable and beneficial effect.

Fundamentalists are always talking about the Spirit taking them over. Considering the evidence here, is it any wonder that they also yammer about demons taking one over as well? It's even been suggested by fundamentalists that those who meditate open themselves up to demonic forces. Well. Guess what? It's those who are speaking in tongues that are not using all of their brains.

[Daniel]

Here are the pics that accompanied the article.

[marutidas]

I have always been kinda, well, for lack of a better word, wierded out by televagelist speaking in toungues, If you know anything about about altered states knows that they are faking it. But the other cases they seem to be whipped up in some kind of frezy. The preacher may not be feeling it, but their followers are.

It has similarities to Spirit Possesion in Vodou, where people are said to take on the personalites of the spirits being honored at the ceremony, But I would say that a Hougan( High priest) or a Mambo(High priestess) feels the "spirit" more that a televagelist preacher does. It's all very fascinating.

[mtatum4496]

One of the few times I ever saw the gift of tongues present in a worship service was in a setting few people would think of - in a Quaker meeting for worship.

When thinking of speaking in tongues, most people think of the exhuberant acts of the Pentecostals. This was not the case in this Quaker meeting based on silence that I attended on Easter Sunday in 1983.

At one point in the service, a woman got up and began to speak in a melodious voice; she did not raise her voice, but spoke in normal tones. I did not understand the words she spoke. Yet, the words seemed to be positive in their energy.

After the woman sat down, a few moments passed. A gentleman across the room rose and said in a quite voice "I have been given the interpretation". He proceeded to offer up words of encourgement to the meeting, which apparently had been dealing with something of great importance of late, and many of the members were weary. Again, as he spoke, I felt positive affirmation that the message was from God and directed to those who worshipped in that place.

I have to wonder - what would the brain scan of a Quaker who worshipped on the basis of centering down and waiting in the silence, and then was given the gift of tongues reveal?

[kara speltz]

I grew up Roman Catholic and always thought speaking in tongues had absolutely no basis. My ex-husband did a workshop in living in the Spirit and actually received the gift of tongues. I spoke with my priest about it, because I had only the highest respect for my ex-husband. He actually told me he had the gift and that not all charismatic Catholics were reactionary. He said there was a very progressive group of charismatics. Shortly after that, I got an opportunity to do a life in the Spirit workshop and really had hoped, I too, might learn the gift of tongues, but to no avail.

I recall telling my pastor, who I was very close to, of my disappointment and he blew me away when he said to me, Kara, the gift of tongues is one of the least of the Holy Spirit's gifts, believe me you have many, don't worry about speaking in tongues. That was good advice to me. And while I still sometimes think some who speak in tongues have ulterior motives, I also know that there are some, who like the Quaker woman are sharing their wonderful gift.

All things are possible with God, of that I have no question.

Kara

[Daniel]

Kara- I started speaking in tongues at the age of 15 when my older sister (who had been converted and witnessed to me) placed her hands on my head and said a prayer. I remember very clearly having the belief that 1) something wonderful was going to happen 2) I could actually 'do this' and 3) the Holy Spirit was a real force of some sort and was going to give me something. I've experienced a change in many of the concepts/ideas that I held since that time (strictly speaking, Buddhists aren't concerned with 'God'). I can, however, still speak in tongues.

The cultural and religious context in which speaking in tongues happens is fascinating. We bring so many layered meanings to it. And it's not that I'm trying to knock it here, though I admit that the last line of my first post was provocative. I played with the assumption that 'more' is 'better', which, strictly speaking, isn't necessarily so. I think a scientist would say that the difference in brain scans simply indicates a difference. What does that difference mean? That's what I'd like to know. I'm hoping we can start to understand what we think we are doing from what is actually happening.

Does the meaning we assign to speaking in tongues complicate matters? I think so.

[mtatum4496]

I think it is important to remember that all the spiritual gifts are given for a purpose; sometimes they are given to us for the edification of our own spirits. At other times, spiritual gifts are given so that others may be ministered to and comforted.

I personally have never been given the gift of tongues, although on more than one occasion I have been present when it was given, and I felt the spirit of God bear witness to me that the gift was real and from God. I've also been present when tongues was practiced and through the gift of discernment, I was given to know that God was not the origin of the gift of tongues in those instances.

There have been times when the Holy Spirit has directed me to go somewhere and I had no reason why - yet when I arrived, I found indeed there was a reason. I recall an elder of my aquaintance who was traveling for his work and while on the road felt a strong urging to take an exit off the highway he had never taken. He obeyed and ended up stopping at a house he did not know. He felt prompted to tell the woman and man who answered the door who is was and that he was an elder in our church. The man and woman cried out, because they had a child who was ill, but there was no congregation of the church near enough for them to ask the elders to offer the sacrament of administration to their child. As it happened, he had his oil with him and was able to administer to the child.

So many times we crave to possess one gift when in fact we have been given those that God knows we need in order to grow and to also be a means of ministry to others.

[Diane Vera]

Originally Posted by Daniel

Kara- I started speaking in tongues at the age of 15 when my older sister (who had been converted and witnessed to me) placed her hands on my head and said a prayer. I remember very clearly having the belief that 1) something wonderful was going to happen 2) I could actually 'do this' and 3) the Holy Spirit was a real force of some sort and was going to give me something. I've experienced a change in many of the concepts/ideas that I held since that time (strictly speaking, Buddhists aren't concerned with 'God'). I can, however, still speak in tongues.

What, if anything, does it mean to you when you do it now? What could it possibly signify in a Buddhist context?

The cultural and religious context in which speaking in tongues happens is fascinating. We bring so many layered meanings to it. And it's not that I'm trying to knock it here, though I admit that the last line of my first post was provocative. I played with the assumption that 'more' is 'better', which, strictly speaking, isn't necessarily so. I think a scientist would say that the difference in brain scans simply indicates a difference. What does that difference mean? That's what I'd like to know. I'm hoping we can start to understand what we think we are doing from what is actually happening.

Could you please clarify that last sentence? It appears that some words may be missing.

[MickA]

The following video is very helpful in understanding the gifts of tongues, prophecy and knowledge and why they ceased.

Speaking In Tongues Part A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi6fIUpvZUI


God bless,
Mick

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by MickA

The following video is very helpful in understanding the gifts of tongues, prophecy and knowledge and why they ceased.

God bless,
Mick

Welcome to the Forum Mick.

So I watched the vid and got that the speaker was using various scriptures to create a narrative concerting Tongues. Ok. So what does this have to do with this thread? Do you have a point to your post? And if so, what is it?

[Rick336]

"Speaking in tongues" (from my point of view) may be the result of an undisciplined mind.

"There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind." - Buddha



Rick

[RedneckDyke]

Anytime anyone talks about speaking in tongues I can't help but think of the Movie "Saved" where Cassandra "speaks in tongues" at the assembly. Or the movie "The Apostle" where the radio station guy tells Robert Duvall that he can preach on the radio as long as he speaks the King's English and not in tougues.
I don't have any problem with it except if people just make it up and say God told them something just to have power over people or make themselves look good. Or some churches pressure people to do it or they aren't really saved. I think if someone did it in my church they may get a look or two but it wouldn't be a big deal. We have lots of different kind of people in our church.

[BrianB]

I grew up in a Foursquare Gospel church. You were made to feel like an imcomplete christian if you didn't speak in tongues at that church. There were special services that lasted into the morning hours to help someone receive the gift of speaking in tongues. You just had to "tarry until the Spirit moved". Then you had to "pray through." My mom received the gift while still in the baptist church. Our family was invited to find a more suitable church. A few months later I received the gift on my birthday.

When I received the gift of speaking in tongues I just spoke a few words of babble. Then my tongue took off almost by itself. I was forming the words but they flowed very quickly. I still do pray in tongues sometimes. I believe it helps you pray when you aren't sure what to pray. I've also found that praying in tongues is calming. FWIW