Glossolalia - A practical guide to speaking in tongues... for pagans

"Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is vocalizing of fluent speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. " (wikipedia.org)

Glossolalia is not exclusively a Christian practice.

"Other religious groups been observed to practice some form of theopneustic glossolalia. It is perhaps most commonly in Paganism, Shamanism, and other mediumistic religious practices.

Glossolalia was exhibited by the Oracle of Delphi, whereby a priestess of the god Apollo (called the Pythia) speaks in unintelligible utterances, supposedly through the spirit of Apollo in her.

In the nineteenth century, Spiritism was developed by the work of Allan Kardec, and the phenomenon was seen as one of the self-evident manifestations of spirits.Glossolalia has also been observed in the Voodoo religion of Haiti, as well as in the Hindu Gurus and Fakirs of India."

The following excerpts are from a peaganism website. (I find it prudent not to link to the site.)

"Glossolalia is the ecstatic practice of "speaking in tongues". While this practice has largely become associated with charismatic Christianity, it is a pre-Christian practice and persists in many religions, including modern Santeria. Glossolalia has traditionally been understood to be a marker of possession by a God.Glossolalia can also be seen as a means of accessing the non-linear aspects of consciousness and can improve ones' ability to access the deeper aspects of the self. It often brings a feeling of deep peace and the fulfillment that comes from creative self-expression...

Some receive glossolalia passively by opening themselves to the possibility and waiting on the movements of Deity to possess or dramatically inspire them. The practice may be engaged in actively, however, and is remarkably easy and rewarding. Pagan Universalism teaches the practice of glossolalia as an adjunct to personal medition, prayer and ritual working. The only bar to the experience of glossolalia is self-consciousness or fear of embarrassment.

Basic Guidelines for Glossolalia

1) Choose a seed sound and a place in which to do the practice.

2) Establish an energetic connection with the Earth. Sky energy will help to retain willfillness if you are working magic alone, but sky energy is generally not helpful in deific possession unless you are seeking possession by a sky god. The Earth Goddess is easier and safer for most people to work with.

3) Begin uttering your seed sound.

4) Surrender to ecstasy and let the sounds emerge.

5) When you feel that the practice has run its course (your consciousness will begin to return to normal), "earth" the power by visualizing it streaming through your hand into the ground. Re-center and e-ground."

My point is simply this. Speaking in ecstatic tongues is not necessarily a genuine work of the Holy Spirit. This practice predates Christianity, and is still practiced by many pagan religions today. This practice was probably popular in the pagan religions of Greece in the first century. This was the practice that Paul was condemning and correcting in his letter to the Corinthian church.