Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Volume 148, Issue 1 , Pages 67-71, 22 November 2006

The measurement of regional cerebral blood flow during glossolalia: A preliminary SPECT study

  • Andrew B. Newberg

      Affiliations

    • Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 110 Donner Building, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
    • Center for Spirituality and the Mind, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 215 662 3014; fax: +1 215 349 5843.
    • ,
  • Nancy A. Wintering

      Affiliations

    • Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 110 Donner Building, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
    • Center for Spirituality and the Mind, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
    • ,
  • Donna Morgan

      Affiliations

    • Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 110 Donner Building, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
    • ,
  • Mark R. Waldman

      Affiliations

    • Center for Spirituality and the Mind, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Received 9 May 2006; received in revised form 20 July 2006; accepted 25 July 2006.

Abstract 

Glossolalia (or “speaking in tongues”) is an unusual mental state that has great personal and religious meaning. Glossolalia is experienced as a normal and expected behavior in religious prayer groups in which the individual appears to be speaking in an incomprehensible language. This is the first functional neuroimaging study to demonstrate changes in cerebral activity during glossolalia. The frontal lobes, parietal lobes, and left caudate were most affected.

Keywords: Glossolalia, Cerebral blood flow, Single photon emission tomography

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PII: S0925-4927(06)00121-1

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.07.001

Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Volume 148, Issue 1 , Pages 67-71, 22 November 2006

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