title: Temporal lobe discharges and glossolalia.
abstract: Glossolalia (speaking in tongues) is a religious phenomenon of which there has been only limited scientific investigation. Described here is the case of a 44-year-old woman who had clonic jerking of the left forearm while speaking in tongues. Waking EEG while she was thinking of nothing in particular was normal. After several minutes of silently praying in tongues she manifested right temporal sharp wave discharges and may have been in a state resembling light sleep. Possible relationships between glossolalia, ecstatic religious phenomena, and temporal lobe electrical discharges are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Mental Health Service , G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center , Jackson , MS , USA.
authors.forename: Roy R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.forename: Samet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kose
authors.forename: Abuhuziefa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abubakr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058256:Brain Waves / Q000502:physiology*; D002562:Ceremonial Behavior; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012067:Religion; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*