I have several friends and relatives who “speak in tongues” on a regular basis. They are smart people, sane, not overly emotional, rooted in truth, not fanatical, and certainly some of the most dedicated followers of Jesus I know.
I’ve had many long and in-depth conversations with them. I truly wanted to understand what was happening, how it was happening, and why it was happening. After years of non-judging conversation (not argument – just talking) I was finally able to present a scenario explaining to them how I could view their “tongues” in a way that made sense to me, and that they also found accurate.
The Holy Spirit lives inside of me. Sometimes when I pray – the words just don’t come that adequately portray my thoughts. I know I feel a certain way, but don’t have the words to explain it to God. The joy I have cannot be expressed. Or, sometimes, I don’t know how to tell God how much love I have for Him, or how much I need Him, or how much I want His guidance. When that happens, I just remain still in my prayers – and I quietly ask the Holy Spirit to explain things that I cannot. Then – I humbly remain quiet and let the Holy Spirit intercede for me while I remain blessed in the presence of God.
My friends who “speak in tongues” have the same feelings as I do. But, instead of being quiet, they audibly make sounds. My “silence” that asks the Holy Spirit to speak on my behalf … is (for them) replaced with babbling that asks the Holy Spirit to speak on their behalf.
That probably isn’t a great explanation of every instance of speaking in tongues. But, it sure did help me understand their perception of what is happening in many cases.