Glossolalia: Impossibly occurring?

 

What is glossolalia?

In my own words, glossolalia is both a spiritual and physical event in which a person begins to speak in a language they don’t know or speak on their own. Those who hear them, may or may not understand the language they’re speaking in. The event can occur any time but often it happens during praise and worship of God, and from those who have been spiritually baptized in the Holy Ghost, meaning when the Spirit of the Lord has entered their body and begins speaking through them. This event is more commonly referred to as speaking in tongues. 

It isn’t a rare thing and for many, it happens daily. 

Over the years, I’ve seen many foul reports on speaking in tongues, and I was both excited and intrigued when I learned there is now science to not only confirm that it happens but also that it impossibly occurs. That aspect is what I want to share with you in this edition. 

2006

Dr. Andrew Newberg, a radiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, and his team, which included Nancy Wintering, Donna Morgan and Mark Waldman, conducted an experiment. They performed brain scans, using neuroimaging tools, on individuals who were members of the Pentecostal faith, while they spoke in tongues, in order to scientifically examine the phenomenon of glossolalia. 

The study's title was The Measurement of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow During Glossolalia: a Preliminary SPECT Study, and it documented the recorded changes in brain activity during glossolalia episodes, specifically the activities of the human frontal and parietal lobes.

Let's first cover what roles the frontal and parietal lobes play in communication.

Frontal Lobe(s): Although the frontal lobes manage much more, for this post, I’ll only include information about them regarding speech production, which is that they light up (means they’re working) when we’re producing communication such as talking, singing, or engaging in non-verbal communication, such as expressions and sign language. 

Parietal Lobes: The parietal lobes also manage more than what is listed here, but the target information is that the parietal lobes are the area of our brains that receive communication. 

The Daily Pennsylvanian reported that the study, which examined five subjects in a laboratory setting, was the first scientific imaging study evaluating changes in cerebral activity when someone is speaking in tongues. 

ScienceDaily published an article on the report in their 2006 October issue, titled: Language Center Of The Brain Is Not Under The Control Of Subjects Who 'Speak In Tongues'.

Their findings included...

• Reduced Activity in Frontal Lobe: They observed decreased activity in the frontal lobes, which are associated with language processing and self-control. 

• Increased Activity in Parietal Lobe: There was increased activity in the parietal lobe, which is involved in processing sensory information and creating a sense of self. 

Implications: Newberg suggests that these changes in brain activity may reflect a shift in focus and a diminished sense of self-control during the experience of speaking in tongues. 

• Religious Interpretation: The report concluded that Newberg's research does not necessarily provide a definitive explanation for the religious meaning or experience of speaking in tongues, but it does offer insights into the neurological processes that may be involved. He stated that although he is a scientist, he also acknowledges the personal and spiritual significance that people attribute to speaking in tongues.

Other physical occurrences during glossolalia...

• Reductions in cortisol levels (a stress hormone).

• Enhancements in alpha-amylase enzyme activity, which are biomarkers of stress reduction.

For your perusal I've added the following video featuring an interview with Dr. Avery Jackson, Neurosurgeon, on the subject of glossolalia. His background whose background includes...

• Undergraduate: University of Chicago (BA in Biology)

• Medical Degree: Wayne State University

• General Surgery Training: Northwestern University

• Neurosurgery Training: Penn State University

• Chief Resident in Neurosurgery: Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Spine Fellowship Faculty Instructor: Medical College of Wisconsin

FarmaCOPEia: Black castor oil for hair loss recovery

 

 Image via LoggaWiggler of Pixabay

Key word: BLACK

Cold pressed castor oil has been a regularly, relied upon organic preventative medicine for ages, among my own circles. But, black castor oil caught my attention much more recently, specifically when the Rona hit the ground running, and the vaxes chasing it close behind. 

Among the many after-effects was hair loss. Folks I knew personally experienced this, and many within their circles of kith and kin were reporting it as well. Sometimes it developed right away and for others, it was many months into recovery. 

Apparently, it was non-discriminating, affecting both men and women.

I've never had the Rona and never been vaxed for it. For that matter, I'd not the flu or even a garden variety cold for several years before the Rona invaded humanity.  So my research on the aftershocks of the virus was propelled out of both curiosity and concern for friends with thinning hair, among the other Rona challenges.

Google responded to my query with a recurring report of help for hair loss that included hair loss due to Rona infection, which was black castor oil. 

What’s the difference?

Here ya go, via Google...

• Regular Castor Oil: Known for its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties, making it useful for skin and hair care. 
• Black Castor Oil: Believed to promote hair growth, improve scalp health, and potentially help with scarring and stretch marks due to its higher pH level and ash content. 

Raw castor beans

Image via klabor of Pixabay

Testimonies

I have no personal experience with this. Even when I received chemo and radiation during cancer treatment, my hair thinned but in most part, stayed attached to my head and remained very healthy. However, there are numerous accounts from others who've submitted their testimonies on multiple social platforms that are easy to find and note.

Also, when I first researched the info on black castor oil for hair loss, the testimonies that populated my screen the fastest were those who'd used it to increase the hair in their eyebrows and lashes.

Here are a few (paraphrased) from Reddit...

1. "I used it to regrow my eyebrows with daily application."
2. An over-50 female with fine hair, experienced hair-thinning after chemotherapy, specifically noticing an increase in her part. Over a two-year period of consistently applying black castor oil, the part narrowed.
3. One responder reported having very fine hair and applied black castor oil in the evenings and gently washed it out in the mornings. After four months she stated, "I have a ton of new/baby hairs!" 
4. Another user wrote, “I don't know about head hair but my eyebrows got noticeably fuller with daily application.”
5. Last, "Noticeable fullness in eyebrows and eyelashes using it 3-4 a week, leaving it on overnight. My eyebrows have not completely recovered from overplucking, but I’ve only been using it for 2 months. Eyelashes have always been thick but I have bald spots where they are a little thinner and it’s noticeable with mascara. Now I have no bald spots. As for scalp- it really helps my flaking and itching, but I have not used it consistently enough to see hair growth. I first looked into castor oil because I noticed my hair was thinning."

Be aware

Both types of castor oil are very thick, and should be used sparingly. To thin it is a simple process, just place a small amount in your palms, and rub them together until the oil thins to your desired consistency. If applied thick, it can cause clogged pores, and over saturation of very porous hair hair, especially for natural blondes.

Best results were reported by those who used it daily over a period of several weeks, and sometimes months.

If you tend to have sensitive skin, or dermal allergy reactions, it’s best to test a small area first to see how your skin will tolerate it.

Where to find it

Black castor oil is available in many markets, department stores and pharmacies. It’s also available on eBay and below is my Amazon Associates link if you’re an Amazon fan.

Click here to get it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bQ3fDH

The wrap!

Thanks for your visit!  I pray the content has been both interesting and helpful.

'til next time, Shalom!