Glossolalia, otherwise referred to as “speaking in tongues,” has been around for thousands of years, and references to it can be found in the Old and New Testament. Speaking in tongues is an unusual mental state associated with specific religious traditions. The individual appears to be speaking in an incomprehensible language, yet perceives it to have great personal meaning. Now, in a first of its kind study, scientists are shining the light on this mysterious practice -- attempting to explain what actually happens physiologically to the brain of someone while speaking in tongues.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered decreased activity in the frontal lobes, an area of the brain associated with being in control of one’s self. This pioneering study, involving functional imaging of the brain while subjects were speaking in tongues, is in the November issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, the official publication of the International Society for Neuroimaging in Psychiatry.

Radiology investigators observed increased or decreased brain activity - by measuring regional cerebral blood flow with SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) imaging - while the subjects were speaking in tongues. They then compared the imaging to what happened to the brain while the subjects sang gospel music.

“We noticed a number of changes that occurred functionally in the brain,” comments Principal Investigator Andrew Newberg, MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, Psychiatry, and Religious Studies, and Director for the Center for Spirituality and the Mind, at Penn. “Our finding of decreased activity in the frontal lobes during the practice of speaking in tongues is fascinating because these subjects truly believe that the spirit of God is moving through them and controlling them to speak. Our brain imaging research shows us that these subjects are not in control of the usual language centers during this activity, which is consistent with their description of a lack of intentional control while speaking in tongues.”

Newberg went on to explain, “These findings could be interpreted as the subject’s sense of self being taken over by something else. We, scientifically, assume it’s being taken over by another part of the brain, but we couldn’t see, in this imaging study, where this took place. We believe this is the first scientific imaging study evaluating changes in cerebral activity -- looking at what actually happens to the brain -- when someone is speaking in tongues. This study also showed a number of other changes in the brain, including those areas involved in emotions and establishing our sense of self.”

Newberg concludes that the changes in the brain during speaking in tongues reflect a complex pattern of brain activity. Newberg suggests that since this is the first study to explore this, future studies will be needed to confirm these findings in an attempt to demystify this fascinating religious phenomenon.

This preliminary study, done only at Penn, examined five subjects in a laboratory setting. The study, set for publication in the November issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, can now be accessed on-line at http://www.sciencedirect.com. The article is titled, “The Measurement of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow During Glossolalia: a Preliminary SPECT Study.” Co-authors include: Nancy Wintering, Donna Morgan, and Mark Waldman.

PDF of the study and images available upon request.
Suggested caption: “From a new brain imaging study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, SPECT scans were taken of subjects while worshiping versus speaking in tongues. The speaking in tongue images primarily show a decrease of brain activity in the frontal lobes, which is what normally makes us feel as if we’re in control. There was also a decrease in activity in the left basal ganglia, which is involved with focusing attention and emotional responses. Finally, the thalamus activity increased during speaking in tongues which supports it is an active state of the brain.”
Please courtesy images: “Courtesy: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.”

Dr. Newberg is the director of the new Center for Spirituality and the Mind at PENN. To learn more, go on-line to: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/radiology/CSM/index.html or email mindreligion@uphs.upenn.edu. Through the collaboration of distinguished scholars from the University of Pennsylvania, the interdisciplinary group works to promote future research and scholarly dialogue on the mind, religion and ethics.

PENN Medicine is a $2.9 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn's School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #3 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes three hospitals, all of which have received numerous national patient-care honors [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center]; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network.

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I've been involved in a Pentecostal church before and seen first hand what their doctrines and practises are. They claim that speaking in tounges is a heavenly language that is evidence of the baptism of the holy spirit. I even tried to get baptised with the holy spirit and the pastor told me to let the sounds roll out of my mouth. It sounded to me like babble. I'm not an expert nor am I a rocket scientist, but it seems to me that human languages have distintive sounds that for that word only. For instance the word door. You point to a door and say door and I know buy the sounds that can be often repeated for that word that it's a door. When I hear someone speaking in tounges often they will use the same syllables repeated over and over again like lalalalalalal or whatever. How and the world can that be a word. Well they claim that they're going through a baby stage. Well from what I've seen babys do they might do that for a short time, but eventually they start making distinctive words. How come thoughs involved in the pentacostal movement haven't gotten to the point that wear they are making something that sound like a language. For instance in English their a pauses, commas, whatever. in other words distinctive breaks in the sounds. Some of those that speak in tounges just keep rattling out sounds and syllables with no breaks at all. How can that be a language. Well some of them quote I Corinthians chapter 13 verse 1 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." Like I said in the first part of my post they quote this in order to claim what they're doing is a heavenly language. Even if their was a angelic language wouldn't the angels understand what they're saying and communicate with each other and to God. God would say to this angel go to that person, and that angel would go to that person. That angel would know what excatly what God was saying because it would be distintive sounds.

Like I said I'm not some expert and even my post probably has many errors grammaticly and spelling errors. But it seems to me that people in the pentacostal movement just blindly excepts the doctrine with out no critical thinking, without studying it out. In fact theirs alot of people who follow christianity that just blindly follows doctrine without studying it out. In fact hard line pentacostals also claim that your not saved if you don't, or can't speak in tounges. Sorry if I seem a little hard on speaking in tounges, but I'm going more with what mainline churches are saying in that it's a supernatural gift of being able to speak a language that you don't know. And that this gift has been done away. In fact I Corinthians 13 says that were there be tounges they shall cease.

I have always been facinated (and a bit scared) of speaking in tongues. So I've done a bit of research into this. Most of the pastors (from various denominations) I have spoken to said that when you speak in tongues you speak in a HUMAN language (eg French, English (for those who cannot speak it), Dutch etc)
The catch is that there HAS to be someone there who can interpret the language otherwise it is just someone talking crap and saying they are speaking in tongues...

I am a Christian and I have never spoken in tongues nor do I actually want to as I think it would be a bit freaky! There is nothing wrong with not being able to speak in tongues as it is a gift that is used when most needed, not when we want to impress others. Remember we do not control it as it comes from God.
There are many people that still do speak in tongues but it is always to help or to witness where needed.

I am not surprised regarding their findings. At least they are trying to prove something that might bring light to a topic that is often scoffed and and misunderstood.

The gift of "speaking in tongues" was definitely mentioned in the bible as one of the spiritual gifts given to mankind, including prophecy and others. However, all the gifts were given in a certain framework and with certain caveats. They were designed to help people understand the lord's word and to spread it. Thus, the gift of tongues was designed to facilitate understanding, helping people speak and understand languages to spread the word. Another warning was "that by their fruits should you judge them". in other words there will be false prophets and prophesies as well as false "speaking in tongues" The way to see if they are "real" and spiritually based is to look at how they are used and what spiritual blessings they bring. From my understanding, most of the speaking in tongues done by pentecostals does little more than create an exclusivity within that group, It does not aid communication, let alone help spread the word. I have heard reports of people who have been blessed with the ability to speak and understand real languages, and in my mind this could be a genuine manifestation of the spirit because its results are real and useful. This gift should be taken in context with the story of the tower of Babel. Before this time all people spoke the same language(or at least could understand each other. To punish the people for their hubris(pride)and perhaps to prevent a single"world view" god caused people to be broken up into many different language groups. I guess the gift of tongues could be seen as god helping to restore some of the balance, and facilitate communication/preaching by his believers

It is a very misunderstood subject. Therefore I would weigh it in on what scripture reveals about it. The books of 1 Corinthians chpt 12-14 are very informative as to what this manifestation is and how it is to be utilized.

There appear to be listed 9 supernatural abilities available to the believer. I find the study interesting because it opposes what I have seen in practice in the Church. I wonder why they do not follow the plain scripture pertaining to this practice?

The denominational argument seems to throw out syntax and other laws of language to allow themselves to have any intrpretation they want. You cannot get away with that kind of thinking when you study any other book. What is written is what is meant. But that is for the Theologians to argue I suppose.

The study that these scientist did with recording brain activity is interesting. The greek word utilized in reference to speaking in tongues is "Laleo" and it means that one speaks without reference (mentally) to what is spoken. This seems to fit the finding of the brain activity response found.