Language Center of the Brain Is Not Under the Control of Subjects Who
"Speak in Tongues"

Description

Glossolalia, otherwise referred to as "speaking in tongues," has
been around for thousands of years. 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.

Newswise — 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 <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
<http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/radiology/CSM/index.html> or email
mindreligion@... <mailto:mindreligion@...> .
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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