Is Dr. Newman's Research of Seeking A Scientific Explanation of "Speaking in Tongues" Controversial?

May 30, 2007

Glossolalia or "speaking in tongues" comprises unintelligible utterances, often as part of religious practices. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed, 2000) defines two meanings for glossolalia (2). "Fabricated and nonmeaningful speech, especially such speech associated with a trance state or certain schizophrenic syndromes." 2. "See gift of tongues" … "The ability or phenomenon to utter words or sounds of a language unknown to the speaker, especially as an expression of religious ecstasy." Frederic William Farrar first used the word glossolalia in 1879 (2).

Even though religous observers prefer the alternate definition of "gift of tongues" due to the esoteric connection with God and the Holy Spirit, this practice has become prevalent in a number of religons. The origin of the modern Christian concept of speaking in tongues is the miracle of Pentecost, recounted in the New Testament book of Acts, in which Jesus' apostles were said to be filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in languages foreign to themselves, but which could be understood by members of the linguistically diverse audience. This miracle was a fulfillment of prophecy and a sign of the end times. This truth in Acts, along with the concept of a "baptism in the Holy Spirit", forms the basis of the charismatic practice of glossolalia (1).

ABC Nightline (3) recently published a story on the issue and the relevancy of the practice to our current time. As I mentioned before, many religous professionals believe that the increase in this practice correlates with the fulfilment of the prophecy and a sign of the end times. Due to the current state of affairs, it would be difficult for one to discard the New Testament. Particularly, the Book of Revelations. Moreover, I am not advocating that we are in the end of times. Nor, I am an authority in this subject matter. But, this observation does preclude me to believe that any reasonable person should take a pause and respect others' spiritual relationship. Even as "fact" and "theory" are systematically applied to the origin of evolution (5). Whereas, the confusion of understanding that both of these terms and their relative implications can be the trick in making observations in science and may not be appropriate in this arena.

Dr. Newberg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology and Psychiatry and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He is Board-certified in Internal Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, and Nuclear Cardiology. He is the director and co-founder of the Center for Spirituality and the Neurosciences, also at the University of Pennsylvania (4). Dr. Newberg is also considered to be an authority in religon and medicine, as evidenced by his numerous publications and innovative contributions to the field of neurophysiology. Hence, Dr. Newberg's new book "Why We Believe What We Believe" attempts to ascertain the underlying mechanism of the biology of spirtuality and its' subsequent effects on human behavior. Incidentally, Dr. Newberg appears to be a serious advocate for healing and spirituality, by making correlations to brain capacity, biological propensity, and subsequent behaviors. But in contrast, his groundbreaking study which reports on measuring the cerebral blood flow (6) during episodes of "speaking in tongues" or performing other praise duties, is controversial within itself.

One can presume, that the nature of a physician helps validate the rationale of tackling such an issue. However, terms like "biologically driven" and "belief systems" that are used in Newberg's book, allows one to speculate about the "Darwinian" (5) approach to this particular topic, which appears to undermine the recognition that certain esoteric phenonmenon like "speaking in tongues", do not warrant scrutiny or investigation. Regardless if Institute Review Boards (IRB) approve studies in this capacity. It is my humble opinion, as innovative as this research is; it may not be appropriate to conduct clinical investigations on individuals, while study participants are in this "uncontrolled" state of being.

References
1. Anderson, Robert Mapes, Vision of the disinherited : the making of American Pentecostalism, Peabody, Mass. : Hendrickson Publishers, 1992, ISBN 1-56563-000-9, (Originally published: Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1979)

2. Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. 1989.

3. Mabrey, V. & Sherwood, R. (2007). Speaking in Tongues: Alternative Voices in Faith. Many See the Controversial Practice as a 'Gift from God'. ABC News. May 30, 2007.

4. Newberg, A. [Online]. Retrieved from http://www.andrewnewberg.com/ on May 28, 2007.

5. Gould, S. (1981). Evolution as Fact and Theory"; Discover, Volume 2, Number 5, May 1981, p. 34-37, reprinted in Speak Out Against The New Right, Herbert F. Vetter (Editor), Beacon Press, 1982.

6. Newberg et al. (2006).The measurement of regional cerebral blood flow during glossolalia: A preliminary SPECT study. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. Volume 148, Issue 1, 22 November 2006, Pages 67-71.

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