The glossolalic utterance: What does it all mean

This research project on glossolalia (a phenomenon known as tongue-speaking), considers the nature and essence of this phenomenon. It attempts to impart a partial character of glossolalia to the reader, through in-depth long interviews that highlight the fact that glossolalia is a polysemic and polyvalent process; one with powerful effect upon the glossolalist.; Evidence collected reveals that glossolalia involves a [spiritual] energy, which resides within each person. Glossolalia is a power or energy that results in spontaneous and intended behaviours that transmute the human organism to a higher level of consciousness. The dissertation reveals that tongue-speaking consists of both intelligible and unintelligible utterances; both verbal and nonverbal; and that glossolalia has a range of meaningful expressions that have powerful effect upon individual self, as it interpenetrates a higher Self---the 'other' ["God"] or cosmic energy.; The project develops a typology, coming out of the long-interviews depicting real distinctions in glossolalic expression. These are useful for analyzes and indicative of the complex experience of glossolalia. The researcher argues for the complexification of what traditionally has been classified as "incoherent babbling" or "regressive speech." The consequential effect of glossolalic expression and concomitant expressiveness does not support the distinction between "religious experience" and all other experience that engages the lifeworld of the human organism.; The duality of existence is non-existent (except to will or ego). Utilizing interdisciplinary findings from neuroscience and the social sciences, this project contributes to a heterophenomenological analysis of all experience, via the transpersonal method of intuitive inquiry. This method privileges the voice of the glossolalic-researcher. In this project, the social scientist also experiences glossolalia and reports from both inside and outside the experience.; There are "mysteries" of the human mindbrain, which glossolalia and the transpersonal researcher can help science explore. While it is argued that it is the interpretation of culture that explains experience for the percipient or glossolalist, the transpersonal researcher can work from "within" the experience and dialogue with all scientific endeavors. In other words, this project reveals no incommensurability of paradigms. Rather, all endeavor is viewed as part of a process of humankind's evolution to a higher level of human consciousness. This, argues the researcher, is a spiritual transmutation, one which can be scientifically "talked" about and experienced.