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

FYI Break

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The wrap!

If  you have any questions, ideas or experiences you’d like to share regarding the information in this edition, you’re welcome to leave them in a comment below. 

Thanks for visiting and hope you’ve found the information intriguing and enlightening and that you’ll visit again soon!

Shalom!