Glosolalia Pentecostal: Normalidad Disociativa y Neurobiología
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Glosolalia Pentecostal: Normalidad Disociativa y Neurobiología This study examines Pentecostal glossolalia from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience and the psychology of religion, focusing on its characterization as a non-pathological dissociative state. Rather than interpreting glossolalia as a loss of cognitive control, the paper analyzes it as a learned and culturally mediated practice involving altered patterns of executive function. Drawing on existing functional neuroimaging studies, particularly those indicating decreased activity in prefrontal regions associated with executive monitoring, the analysis explores how practitioners may experience reduced self-regulation while maintaining affective engagement and rhythmic vocalization. These findings are interpreted within broader discussions of dissociation as a spectrum that includes normative and context-dependent states. The study argues that glossolalia can be understood as a culturally structured practice that facilitates shifts in self-perception and cognitive processing within ritual settings. It concludes that such practices may contribute to psychological regulation and group cohesion without implying pathology or cognitive impairment.
Author: Jurado, Yamid
Language: Spanish
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7140038156