Speaking in tongues; what is going on?

[Bree]

The family I was born into was of the Pentecostal / Charismatic denomination. If you don’t know what this is, it is a Protestant denomination that believes in speaking in tongues.
What is speaking in tongues? That’s the question of this thread. I’ll tell you what it looks like. Someone is praying, then they start blathering all of these strange noises with fervor. They say they are speaking the language of angels and they are possessed by the Holy Spirit. They are possessed by something alright, but what? The one doing the tongue speaking isn’t trying to trick everyone, they really believe that all of their weird noises is angel speak. No disrespect if you are Pentecostal.
In the Bible, tongue speaking was different. The apostles at Pentecost were preaching, and the diverse crowd each heard the apostles in their own crystal clear native language. It wasn’t a bunch of gibberish.
What, psychologically, is going on in a congregation that believes they are all possessed with the Holy Spirit and tongue speaking?
This girl I was into one time invited me out to her church. She didn’t tell me it was a Pentecostal church! So like, the pastor was up there doing his thing, then, like a music conductor, he cued the congregation and absolutely everyone started screeching angel speak. Caught me off guard and freaked me out for a second. turned to the girl and she’s blathering away too.
What happened there? Like, each member of the church, and maybe the pastor too, all genuinely believe they are tongue speaking. How was the pastor able to cue that? Is it mass hysteria? Group think? Is it hypnosis?
My family has laid hands on me in prayer and tongue spoke demons out of me before lmfao

i believe it is demon possession.

If it was angelic, it would be coherent for when ever an angel has spoken to a person, it has always been coherent and for a meaningful purpose.

the reason why some feel so odd about the practice is because it is a loss of control of ones own mind and body. It is demonic.

 

[Twilight Hue]

The family I was born into was of the Pentecostal / Charismatic denomination. If you don’t know what this is, it is a Protestant denomination that believes in speaking in tongues.
What is speaking in tongues? That’s the question of this thread. I’ll tell you what it looks like. Someone is praying, then they start blathering all of these strange noises with fervor. They say they are speaking the language of angels and they are possessed by the Holy Spirit. They are possessed by something alright, but what? The one doing the tongue speaking isn’t trying to trick everyone, they really believe that all of their weird noises is angel speak. No disrespect if you are Pentecostal.
In the Bible, tongue speaking was different. The apostles at Pentecost were preaching, and the diverse crowd each heard the apostles in their own crystal clear native language. It wasn’t a bunch of gibberish.
What, psychologically, is going on in a congregation that believes they are all possessed with the Holy Spirit and tongue speaking?
This girl I was into one time invited me out to her church. She didn’t tell me it was a Pentecostal church! So like, the pastor was up there doing his thing, then, like a music conductor, he cued the congregation and absolutely everyone started screeching angel speak. Caught me off guard and freaked me out for a second. turned to the girl and she’s blathering away too.
What happened there? Like, each member of the church, and maybe the pastor too, all genuinely believe they are tongue speaking. How was the pastor able to cue that? Is it mass hysteria? Group think? Is it hypnosis?
My family has laid hands on me in prayer and tongue spoke demons out of me before lmfao

It's all gobblygook. It means absolutely nothing at all.

 

[BilliardsBall]

The family I was born into was of the Pentecostal / Charismatic denomination. If you don’t know what this is, it is a Protestant denomination that believes in speaking in tongues.
What is speaking in tongues? That’s the question of this thread. I’ll tell you what it looks like. Someone is praying, then they start blathering all of these strange noises with fervor. They say they are speaking the language of angels and they are possessed by the Holy Spirit. They are possessed by something alright, but what? The one doing the tongue speaking isn’t trying to trick everyone, they really believe that all of their weird noises is angel speak. No disrespect if you are Pentecostal.
In the Bible, tongue speaking was different. The apostles at Pentecost were preaching, and the diverse crowd each heard the apostles in their own crystal clear native language. It wasn’t a bunch of gibberish.
What, psychologically, is going on in a congregation that believes they are all possessed with the Holy Spirit and tongue speaking?
This girl I was into one time invited me out to her church. She didn’t tell me it was a Pentecostal church! So like, the pastor was up there doing his thing, then, like a music conductor, he cued the congregation and absolutely everyone started screeching angel speak. Caught me off guard and freaked me out for a second. turned to the girl and she’s blathering away too.
What happened there? Like, each member of the church, and maybe the pastor too, all genuinely believe they are tongue speaking. How was the pastor able to cue that? Is it mass hysteria? Group think? Is it hypnosis?
My family has laid hands on me in prayer and tongue spoke demons out of me before lmfao

There is a difference between how charismatics and pentecostals view and administrate tongues. Charismatics are Wild Wild West and pentecostals (like Assemblies of God churches) follow the Bible rules--and see positive, wholistic, healing results.

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

What is speaking in tongues?

Biblically it’s supposed to be like having a universal translator where everyone hears their own language. The silly stuff on tv is just bs. I can remember who it was, but there is a funny video of a guy blabbering but apparently the Holy Spirit can’t talk and text at the same time lol.

 

[firedragon]

The family I was born into was of the Pentecostal / Charismatic denomination. If you don’t know what this is, it is a Protestant denomination that believes in speaking in tongues.
What is speaking in tongues? That’s the question of this thread. I’ll tell you what it looks like. Someone is praying, then they start blathering all of these strange noises with fervor. They say they are speaking the language of angels and they are possessed by the Holy Spirit. They are possessed by something alright, but what? The one doing the tongue speaking isn’t trying to trick everyone, they really believe that all of their weird noises is angel speak. No disrespect if you are Pentecostal.
In the Bible, tongue speaking was different. The apostles at Pentecost were preaching, and the diverse crowd each heard the apostles in their own crystal clear native language. It wasn’t a bunch of gibberish.
What, psychologically, is going on in a congregation that believes they are all possessed with the Holy Spirit and tongue speaking?
This girl I was into one time invited me out to her church. She didn’t tell me it was a Pentecostal church! So like, the pastor was up there doing his thing, then, like a music conductor, he cued the congregation and absolutely everyone started screeching angel speak. Caught me off guard and freaked me out for a second. turned to the girl and she’s blathering away too.
What happened there? Like, each member of the church, and maybe the pastor too, all genuinely believe they are tongue speaking. How was the pastor able to cue that? Is it mass hysteria? Group think? Is it hypnosis?
My family has laid hands on me in prayer and tongue spoke demons out of me before lmfao

This is predominantly based on a later "entered" verse in the gospel of Mark. And tongues in acts does not really mean blabbering but "other languages".

 

[SkepticThinker]

It's just random sounds and gibberish, from what I can tell.

 

[Redemptionsong]

Thank you for sharing your experience. The more experienced I became in my walk with Christ, reading the scriptures and understanding His grace, the more I understood how contrary to the Bible such an idea was.

I'm sorry you should think this way about speaking in tongues. It's important to read and understand what Paul has to say about this gift and to know that it is not a requirement of being 'born again'. 1 Corinthians 12 mentions the gifts and states clearly that the Holy Spirit divides 'to every man severally as he [the Holy Spirit] will'.

1 Corinthians 12:30,31
'Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way [the 'fruits' of love]'

1 Corinthians 14:18,19.
'I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all;
Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue'.

If people are to speak in tongues in the church, Paul encourages them to 'pray that he may interpret' [verse 13]. This is to ensure that people understand what is being said.

The inference of this is that tongues is primarily for private use. Tongues may be seen by unbelievers as 'a sign', but for believers it is better to have understanding.

1 Corinthians 12:23. 'If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak in tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?'

1 Corinthians 14:5. 'I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.'

1 Corinthians 14:14. 'For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.'

In the video, the frontal lobe, where rational thoughts occur, shows little activity when a person speaks in tongues. This is consistent with the words of Paul, who says, 'my spirit prayeth'. The spirit in man is centred on the heart, and a believer who allows their heart to pray, will invariably speak in tongues. This is a deeper form of prayer than a prayer spoken solely from the mind, as often happens, I believe, when reading from a prayer book.

 

[InChrist]

I'm sorry you should think this way about speaking in tongues. It's important to read and understand what Paul has to say about this gift and to know that it is not a requirement of being 'born again'. 1 Corinthians 12 mentions the gifts and states clearly that the Holy Spirit divides 'to every man severally as he [the Holy Spirit] will'.

1 Corinthians 12:30,31
'Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way [the 'fruits' of love]'

1 Corinthians 14:18,19.
'I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all;
Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue'.

If people are to speak in tongues in the church, Paul encourages them to 'pray that he may interpret' [verse 13]. This is to ensure that people understand what is being said.

The inference of this is that tongues is primarily for private use. Tongues may be seen by unbelievers as 'a sign', but for believers it is better to have understanding.

1 Corinthians 12:23. 'If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak in tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?'

1 Corinthians 14:5. 'I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.'

1 Corinthians 14:14. 'For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.'

In the video, the frontal lobe, where rational thoughts occur, shows little activity when a person speaks in tongues. This is consistent with the words of Paul, who says, 'my spirit prayeth'. The spirit in man is centred on the heart, and a believer who allows their heart to pray, will invariably speak in tongues. This is a deeper form of prayer than a prayer spoken solely from the mind, as often happens, I believe, when reading from a prayer book.

Thank you for sharing those scriptures. I am not going to deny the possibility of private prayer that involves speaking in an unknown tongue, because Paul does seem to indicate this occurs. I definitely think so much of what occurs in Charismatic churches with everyone speaking out loud in tongues all at once is not biblical.

 

[Valjean]

It's just random sounds and gibberish, from what I can tell.

And linguists who have studied these utterences agree with you.

 

[74x12]

The family I was born into was of the Pentecostal / Charismatic denomination. If you don’t know what this is, it is a Protestant denomination that believes in speaking in tongues.
What is speaking in tongues? That’s the question of this thread. I’ll tell you what it looks like. Someone is praying, then they start blathering all of these strange noises with fervor. They say they are speaking the language of angels and they are possessed by the Holy Spirit. They are possessed by something alright, but what? The one doing the tongue speaking isn’t trying to trick everyone, they really believe that all of their weird noises is angel speak. No disrespect if you are Pentecostal.
In the Bible, tongue speaking was different. The apostles at Pentecost were preaching, and the diverse crowd each heard the apostles in their own crystal clear native language. It wasn’t a bunch of gibberish.
What, psychologically, is going on in a congregation that believes they are all possessed with the Holy Spirit and tongue speaking?
This girl I was into one time invited me out to her church. She didn’t tell me it was a Pentecostal church! So like, the pastor was up there doing his thing, then, like a music conductor, he cued the congregation and absolutely everyone started screeching angel speak. Caught me off guard and freaked me out for a second. turned to the girl and she’s blathering away too.
What happened there? Like, each member of the church, and maybe the pastor too, all genuinely believe they are tongue speaking. How was the pastor able to cue that? Is it mass hysteria? Group think? Is it hypnosis?
My family has laid hands on me in prayer and tongue spoke demons out of me before lmfao

A lot of people ignore how God will speak not just with "another tongue" but also with "stammering lips" according to the Bible. It's more than just the holy Spirit giving another tongue but it can be just stammering lips.

Can it be abused? Definitely. I knew a girl who admitted she would fake tongues just to appear holy I guess. I don't know why she did it. I'm sure she isn't the only one.

Then of course you have the demonic tongues like you hear so much about. Yes demons can make people speak in tongues. But that's different than when God does it.

Finally, there are many accounts of people hearing tongues they understand from people who don't know that language. So that is not "angelic languages". That's real.

I think angels just speak Hebrew probably; so I doubt that angelic language line anyway. As far as I know Hebrew is the original language. But that's just the traditional view of it. No one knows for sure what the original language is that God spoke or angels. Possibly a form of ancient, archaic Hebrew though.

 

[Muffled]

The family I was born into was of the Pentecostal / Charismatic denomination. If you don’t know what this is, it is a Protestant denomination that believes in speaking in tongues.
What is speaking in tongues? That’s the question of this thread. I’ll tell you what it looks like. Someone is praying, then they start blathering all of these strange noises with fervor. They say they are speaking the language of angels and they are possessed by the Holy Spirit. They are possessed by something alright, but what? The one doing the tongue speaking isn’t trying to trick everyone, they really believe that all of their weird noises is angel speak. No disrespect if you are Pentecostal.
In the Bible, tongue speaking was different. The apostles at Pentecost were preaching, and the diverse crowd each heard the apostles in their own crystal clear native language. It wasn’t a bunch of gibberish.
What, psychologically, is going on in a congregation that believes they are all possessed with the Holy Spirit and tongue speaking?
This girl I was into one time invited me out to her church. She didn’t tell me it was a Pentecostal church! So like, the pastor was up there doing his thing, then, like a music conductor, he cued the congregation and absolutely everyone started screeching angel speak. Caught me off guard and freaked me out for a second. turned to the girl and she’s blathering away too.
What happened there? Like, each member of the church, and maybe the pastor too, all genuinely believe they are tongue speaking. How was the pastor able to cue that? Is it mass hysteria? Group think? Is it hypnosis?
My family has laid hands on me in prayer and tongue spoke demons out of me before lmfao

I believe your last line says a lot.

Tongues can occur as a spiritual manifestation but they can also be developed consciously. An example of conscious tongue speaking would be Star Trek Klingon:

 

[Muffled]

This is a video on speaking in tongues. There was a study done on it with brain imaging.

Can one measure spirituality with brain imaging?

 

[Muffled]

It's group think. My group chants in mystery languages as well. Some we know what is being said and recognize the origin of the language. Sometimes, I dunno what we're saying. I know what we're feeling and doing.

I believe I don't know how that works. I know how pentacostalism works.