I suppose there's a number of reasons but here's two:

Somtimes, it's because some people are more gullable that others...

Sometimes, it's peer pressure. I know a lot of kids from HS who were pentecostal and would fake it in church to get attention...

I knew someone who went to one of the chuches once and started "speaking in tongues" to see of if it was legit...thing is he spoke a real language. The interpretter missed it all....

What about those people(and i know some) that claim they were laid hands on and started to speak in tounges on the spot I never actually witnessed this but I hear about it all the time from people who believe this stuff.

Hypnotic powers of suggestion.

Group settings, especially ritualistic group settings, are known to have massive amounts of stimulation on certain parts of the brain.

Speaking in tongues is not unique to the christian religion. In fact, some christian sects argue that speaking in tongues is satanic even.

You have no doubt, heard of tribes in Africa and people in Haiti that practice what is called "spirit religions". Most laypeople refer to it as voodoo, but the name varies from country to country, some call is Voudon, Santeria, Yoruba and Candomble. In their ritualistic settings, many of the followers call "the gods/goddesses" of their pantheon down into their bodies. They are known to behave  and act very differently when doing so. The same type of mental stimulation of the brain that can delude the mind into believing such stuff is real is the same powers of suggestion that works for unknown tongues.

Native American Shamans have have similiar practices of communication with the "spirit" world. This is not always accomplished through drug induced means, this is sometimes achieved through ritual.

Ritual is known to have powerful effects on the mind. Chanting, singing, repetitive movements, all can combine to have powerful effects upon people. If people are not aware that all of these stimulations and feelings were coming from their minds, they could mistakenly attribute it to spiritual influences.

The same part of the brain is stimulated when Sufi Islamic dancers are practicing their rituals, when Buddhist monks are meditating, when Catholics are singing the liturgy of the mass, and when people are speaking in tongues.

It's really no great mystery about these powers of stimulation.

Kids that go to a Marilyn Manson concert, end up in the mosh pit beating the hell out of each other and not feeling any pain until the next day are feeling the same sorts of stimulation in the brain that comes from group settings and such.

For a real good dissection of this read here :

http://www.skepdic.com/glossol.html

EDIT : While most "spiritual" activity comes from a certain part of brain stimulation, there is one slight variation in the brain chemistry stimulation during speaking tongues. However, the scientist who monitored the brains of people speaking in tongues, found evidence for neurological causes rather than mysterious and inexplicable phenomena.

For some time I hung out in a small Pentecostal youth group, to get some really weird experiences on my account, I guess. They spoke in tongues frequently and with great passion. In fact, it looked like they must be in some kind of religious trance, otherwise it does not work for them, as they said. They take it as a religious experience. I think it's just weird. Probably their brain centre of speech is in state of severe religional shock, so it makes them say nonsenses.

If I'd be a music composer, I'd record the tongue-speaking sessions and use it as a sound effect, added some heavy beat and bass, some dark melodies and a couple more things. I'd make a beautifully sinister psychedelic music track out of it. Because, you know, speaking in tongues sounds really creepy. If DJs can mix exotic tribal and religional chants into their music, why couldn't someone mix in some evil-sounding gibberish that the Pentecostals speak with.

 For those who have never been to a Pentacostal service I have to recommend it. I went a few times and while they are all freaking crazy at least they have fun singing and dancing. I always figured speaking is tongues is what you did when you started getting bored with the sermon. Jump up yell hallelujah! Or start speaking in tongues. 

Are you saying this is something I could reproduce myself by myselfnew what I was doing?

Here is a video doing what I was talking about it I dont know if she is really doing it or just joking. She seems to know what she is talking about.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Klda0-6FSU&feature=related

You are misreading what I am saying I know the girl in the link is not a christian I wanted to know if she was actually putting her mind in a euphoric state to achieve this or just trying to make people laugh I couldnt tell by the nature of her video. I dont want to do it to please anybody I would like to get over my fear of it and finally see it for the bullshit it is.

what do you guys think of prophecy and the implications it can have on a person I am still trying to shake off some of the prophecies I was given. Do you have a good way to discredit them?

My recommendation to you, is to substitute your previous learning (previous information), with new learning (new information), by reading a lot.

About science, biology, physics, and most importantly, history.

It's the best way for you to evolve.

You are an obsessive complusive. That much is crystal clear. And you like to worship. That's also clear.

OCD's are most unlikely to simply kick a habit, but rather, substitute one for the other.

You are most unlikely to transform quickly, from your previous thinking, to radically different thinking.

It's not going to happen for you.

You're not wired that way.

That much is clear.

None of us has the 'silver bullet' that's going to rid you of your previous indoctrinations.

Sorry.

We just don't, because there isn't one.

Atheists are the antithesis of indoctrination.

Atheists are free thinkers.

We don't like to be told what's real. We like to investigate things for ourselves, and decide for ourselves, what we adopt as true, or likely/unlikely to be true.

I was told that I woould play the guitar for god which I already was at the time and that he had someone special for me which I know is incredibly vague. And also that I should quite listening to rock music which isnt a prophecy but a command. Also one time someone was talking to me and telling me to trust in god and I was an atheist at the time hardcore and the whole time she was talking to me I was giving god a chance to say things that he would only know and nothing happened, so I conclulded that it was her own feelings and motivations that led her to say those things. But recently I have remebered one for along time ago that I must be mistaken about my dad said that someone told him that I had magazines that I shouldnt be looking at but I never heard and I think he asctually said he was told to be a better father and knew they were there already and I have been reluctant to ask him in the case he might say it was the former confusing his own memories what do you think that would be a pretty bold thing to accuse someone of having naughty magazines?

I was worried about someone getting word from the divine to tell me to stop looking at that stuff.

Troll...

If you were telling someone how ridiculous speaking in tounges and they said that god uses the foolish things of the world to shun the wise. What would you say to this person to rebuttal this as not being a good reason?

So basically I could reply with "so youre saying speaking in tounges is foolish?"

dog?

The dyslectic agnostic didn't know if there was a dog.  It's a joke.

Well, I see a lot of blind speculation, a little scholarship and a dash of someone scared of the boogy-man here but I think I may be able to shed some light on this topic.  I have very intimate experience with it, you see.  For the first twenty years of my life I was one of these Apostolic Pentecostals (of the Oneness variety, for those interested).  I spoke in tongues at the tender age of eight and, though at thirty five I am more than ten long years removed from any form of theism/deism/etc, I can still conjure glossolalia up at a moments notice, though there are environmental factors that impact the "feelings" associated with it.

First and formost, this phenomenon cannot be understood in a vacuum.  As I will get into, glossolalia is effectively the result of an altered state of conciousness, a heightened and often frenzied emotional disconnect with anything but the experience.  You do not enter into such a state without the help of group psychosis (this can be a real, physical group or even a percieved but imaginary one). 

The main component with group psychosis that effects this phenomenon is the supression of inhibitions.  This is pretty important in relation to the event because humans, as an organism heavily dependant on vocal communication for our societal stability, have a fairly robust inhibition against speaking gibberish.  Under normal circumstances, not being understood by those around us would cause frustration and an effort to clarify our message.  Just as a mob may diminish the natural inhibition towards random violence (group psychosis and mob actions are a whole nuther conversation that deserves much more than will be discussed here), a group of likeminded believers, a delusion of a "cloud of witnesses" or entering the presence of a supreme deity would supress such inhibitions to good verbal communication for a number of reasons.

Anyone who has attended one of these services understands exactly where I am going with that.  I like to say we weren't the church handling the snakes, but we had a solid respect for the ones that did!  The services have a very mystical bent with loud, rather boisterous music and impassioned rhetoric from a minister.  Put together an environment like that and people who want to "let go and let God have his way" will line up to do so.  This experience is the polar opposite of meditation in that is is completely non-introspective.  There is diminished situational awareness as the worshipper steadily works into a very trance-like state, hyper-emotive and stupendously sensitive to auto-suggestion and the like.  In such a state the phenomenon of tongues is born. 

From my experience and hindsight, it is basically a short circuit of the speech mechanism.  Much the same way alcohol or drugs causes a loss of control of the mechanics of speech, this hyper-emotive state seems to effect the output side of the cognitive machine (it is a metaphor, let's not get into the flaws of Cartesian brain theories!) As humans we have an innate desire to vocalize but when the frontal lobes are shut down and cognition and higher function supressed, the results are the equivalant of dumping a bag of Lego's.  Instead of building a car or a plane, they are just punched together at random and generate a string of phonics that have a ring of "wordiness". 

Interestingly, it becomes habit and can be called up at random, particularly when one finds themself in a highly charged atmosphere.  I remember one of the chinks in the armor appeared when I was a senior in high school and went to a pep rally.  Fifteen hundred kids cheering and chanting with one voice and I found myself having to actively not speak in tongues!  Talk about cognitive disconnect!  Was God really a big high school footbal fan?

To further confound the conversation, there is the nature vs. nurture aspect.  Many people are unable to reach the emotional reptile inside and simply improvise.  They make shit up.  It is quite understandable considering this phenomenon is a part of the in-group identity (seldom spoken but vigorously implied) and it gives one access to many very tangible benifits only accessed by the inner circle.

Hope that sheds a bit of light on it.  If you have questions I would be happy to discuss it further.

...oh, and as for the guy who is worried about being prophesied over, that's easy.  When the preacher comes over to lay the hands, keep your eyes open and laugh at him.  Demonstrate by your actions that his silly sharade is on par with the emperor's new clothes. 

Bradthebard

Thats interesting but how come my family members are when they start praying start speaking in tounges immediatley Is it because they are used to it and have it memorized cause if it is some kind of drunk state then for my grandma who does it immediatley upon praying then wouldnt she be conciously doing her self at that point or do you get better at entering this state?

I am not wishing to contradict your experience.  It is just that for me, it was always play-acting.  While I gibbered away, a part of my brain was aware and actively pushing my outer me into the "proper" physical actions to go along with their nonsense.

Looking at the eyes of the old lady who was the primary supporter of that church, she was play-acting too.

I agree, there are probably congregations that have people who are more into total release and total immersion in the experience.  It was a very small congregation that I belonged to, and we didn't have "the devil's music" to get all wound up over.

And yes, I do think how you are raised is a part of it.  My family did not attend this church - they didn't attend any church being of the "believing in god but not religion" variety.  For which I am very grateful as I was never brain washed to the extent some people on this forum were.

It is a learned behavior.  Once you get used to doing it it is second nature. Rolls off like falling off a log.

As to the play-acting, there certainly is some of that.  At risk of sounding "True Scottsmanish", that isn't really glossolalia proper.  It is peer pressure. 

Glossolalia is induced by an altered state of conciousness initially, though, as pointed out, it becomes easy as falling off a log! 

Yea, I suppose that is the rub.  You can't really ever seperate the components out.  That said, there is a difference between the play-acting and the altered state of conciousness.  I think there may be some people more likely to easily slip into these altered mental states than others.  The fact that I was raised in it and firmly believed in its authenticity helped a good deal too!  I know I did not feel like I was acting at all when I was doing it.  It was an utterance from the depths of my soul (I thought) and was absolutely authentic to me at the time.  It was as real as any other hallucination is, which, to the person seeing it, is pretty damn real!

I think the "true believers" like that are far more likely to have been indoctrinated from a very young age by fervently practicing parents or gaurdians. 

I would certainly not suggest she is mistaken about her perception of the events.  She wanted it really bad and the words of her freind could easily have generated the wellspring of emotion needed.  She may have also just spurted out some nonsense and the smoothing trowel of time has smoothed over the less desirable parts of the memory!

Seems an odd way to bestow a gift, eh?

I give little credence to such stories, and I have heard my share of them.  Tales of derring-do from the past that serve to offer a rather vague shoring up of the story-line are almost always embellished beyond belief.  Multiple people telling the same story means little.  Look at the gospels.   These rather predictable and mystical stories are poor evidence indeed for anything at all.  They are most likely the fond but flawed memories of a group of people who want to shore up their faith.  I remember hearing one about the spirit moving on a saxaphone and it playing itself...

There really isn't but I completely understand your hesitation.  It is unimaginally traumatic to stand up and speak against beliefs your family and freinds hold.  The best advise I can give isn't my advise at all.  It is the words of Ghandi, "Speak your mind.  ...Even if your voice shakes."

Unfortunately you will probably never debunk them.  Their faith is not based on evidence or rationality.  The best you can do is to stand up, ask the questions and be bold about it.  It will get easier with time and you will become the inspiration for another rational thinker who is just as afraid as you are.

They can come to my office, there are a lot of people that 'babble' on regular basis.  Actually the incoherent verbal diarrhea that comes out is indiscernible from speaking in tongues.  I think we would make a perfect control group.  

On his own no, but put that eight year old in the middle of an ecstatic ritual, surrounded by emotionally charged compadres all hooting and hollering and, though he migh not exactly voluntarily slip into it, he could easily jump into jibberish as a by product of the exitement around him.  I spoke with tongues at nine and that was pretty much the case.  The path to get there gets mapped pretty quick but being surrounded by hyper-worshippers yelling and praying and getting their Jesus freak on impacts a young mind.   'S a wonder I am not nutty as a squirrel turd...

I'm not entirely sure if it was the same study but I did read a similar one.  Couple points I noticed.

-I suspect it would be very difficut to replicate the environment of one of the ecstatic rituals in a controlled, clinical environment.  As such, I am not sure the fMRI would give a truly accurate picture of what happens, though I have little more than my own perceptions and memory as support for that opinion.  The glossolalia can be called up out of what I think is mere habit but it is a different animal than the kind that is brought on by the altered state generated by these rituals (and they are indeed rituals). 

-In retrospect, it doesn't seem to me that it is generated from the language centers of the brain (similar to singing).  I think much study could go into this subject if anyone thought it actually worthwhile, which I really don't! I read another study while studying in college in accoustics and audio engineering about the physiological effects of loud, driving music, a very important ingredient in many of these rituals.  It seems the effects of extended exposure to music over about 90-95 db or so has an effect very similar to cocaine!  One more factor that plays into the mix it seems.