SPEAKING IN TONGUES: NATURAL OR SUPERNATURAL

I was praying recently, and the question came to me about how tongues develop. These types of questions usually come to me in the middle of prayer and meditation. I filed the question away in my mind, meaning to investigate it at the conclusion of my prayer time. Here are my thoughts.

Language is one of humanity's most profound abilities, bridging the gap between thought and expression. It seems the same is true about God. In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2) The same (Word) was with God in the beginning. 3) all things were made by Him (Word); and without Him (the Word) was not anything made that was made (John 1:1-3). Is it too hard to believe that speech is important since we are made in His image?

I learned early about this man who was interested in how humans develop language. Noam Chomsky, a pioneering linguist, revolutionized our understanding of how humans learn language. In the 1960s, he proposed the concept of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), an innate (born with) biological mechanism in the brain that enables children to acquire language rapidly and effortlessly. According to Chomsky, the LAD is hardwired into our neurology, allowing children to grasp complex grammar rules without formal instruction. They do not have to go to school to learn to speak their language. This theory disputes behaviorist ideas that language is purely learned through imitation and reinforcement, emphasizing instead that humans are born with a universal grammar, a blueprint for language structure shared across all cultures.

Chomsky's LAD explains why children can form sentences they've never heard before, highlighting the innate predisposition for language that sets us apart from other animals. It's a cornerstone of modern linguistics and continues to influence fields like psychology and education.

Building on Chomsky's ideas, look at early childhood milestones. By around 12 months of age, most children begin to utter their first recognizable words. On average, a one-year-old might produce 1 to 3 words, such as "mama," "dada," or "ball," though they often understand far more, usually up to 50-100 words. This varies widely. Some babies are chatty early on, while others take longer, and both can be normal. By 18 months, the vocabulary typically expands to about 50 words, setting the stage for the "word explosion" around age 2, when kids might learn up to 10 new words a day.

For several years, I have been trying to become fluent in Spanish. I have found a couple of ways to learn another language. I read a story once of a man who knew five languages. When asked how he learned so many languages, he said he would use Bible verses to teach himself. He would purchase a Bible in the language he wanted to learn and then memorize scriptures in that language. I find that process works very well for me. However, I think the best way to learn a new language is through immersion.

During my undergraduate years, my professor would take students to Mexico to spend extended time with host families. None of the people we stayed with spoke English, so we had to try to speak their language. What I discovered was that, about the third night into immersion in the Spanish language, I began to dream in Spanish. Years later, after graduating from my undergraduate program, I took personal trips to Mexico to attend language school. I remember spending some weeks in Cuernavaca and found that on my third night there, I began to dream in Spanish once again. Immersion works!

If immersion works in the natural world, shouldn't one attempt to become immersed in a community that speaks a language different from ours? Developing a "spiritual language" like tongues may indeed require "immersion in the Holy Spirit." In theology, being filled with the Spirit, through prayer, worship, or laying on of hands, unlocks this ability, much like surrounding oneself with Spanish speakers activates fluent dreaming. It's not about effort alone, but about surrender and constant exposure to spiritual influences, allowing the divine to take over. This "immersion" fosters growth in the practice, turning initial utterances into a fluid prayer language. I speak in tongues daily for the most part, during my prayer time. I am not implying that everyone must speak in tongues every day. But I think it would not hurt. :) Speaking in tongues may help clear up some of our stinking thinking.

I often wonder what goes on in the brain when someone speaks in tongues. Do the same areas of the brain get activated when one speaks in tongues as when speaking their native tongue? Normal speech involves specific brain areas working in tandem. Broca's area in the frontal lobe is involved in speech production and articulation, while Wernicke's area in the temporal lobe is crucial for language comprehension and meaning.

On the other hand, glossolalia (speaking in tongues) shows distinct brain activity. Studies using SPECT scans and fMRIs reveal decreased activity in the frontal lobe, including Broca's area, suggesting reduced conscious control and language planning. In other words, one does not plan the words that come forth when speaking in tongues. They flow spontaneously as "rivers of living (moving, active) waters" (John 7:38).

Instead, there's increased activity in areas associated with emotion and altered states of consciousness, such as the parietal lobe and limbic system. Altered states of consciousness are not always a bad thing. Peter fell into a trance (an altered state of consciousness) when he was on the roof waiting on a meal to be prepared (Acts 10:10), and Paul said he fell into a trance while in the temple (Acts 22:17). Glossolalia feels more automatic or trance-like, differing from everyday speech by bypassing typical language production networks and involving less prefrontal executive function. The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain responsible for executive functioning, or reasoning. Maybe that's what Paul meant when he said, "For whether we be besides ourselves (out of one's mind), it is unto God; or whether we be sober, it is for you" (2 Corinthians 5:13). Or maybe it's what Peter meant when he said, "...joy unspeakable (words are not adequate) and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8). We are unable to think up words that can describe the joy associated with the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

In Christian contexts, particularly among Pentecostals and charismatics, speaking in tongues is viewed as a spiritual gift received upon being "born again" or baptized in the Holy Spirit. It's described in the Bible (e.g., Acts 2) as a supernatural ability to speak unknown languages for prayer, prophecy, or edification. For many born-again believers, it manifests during intense spiritual experiences, serving as evidence of the Holy Spirit's indwelling. There are times in my life when I am in deep spiritual intensity, and I will speak in tongues. But there are other times when I may be walking through the house or driving down the road, and I may speak in tongues. I do not always speak them aloud, but rather under my breath. I am not trying to convey a message to an earthly individual. I am not trying to impress someone with how spiritual I am. I am speaking to my Savior, and it is for His ears alone. What do those words mean? I do not know, for it is not my conscious mind making up words. It is my spirit that is speaking to my God. "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful" (1 Corinthians 14:14).

Thanks for reading. Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments!