Doctoral Dissertation Research: Glossolalia Influences on Stress Response Among Apostolic Pentecostals

奥尔巴尼纽约的州立大学研究生克里斯托弗·D.林恩，由劳伦斯M. Schell博士将检验这样一个假设，即五旬节的舌语（说方言）文化现象，一种分裂的形式，具有身体上的、减轻压力的好处。 分离是一种心理学构造，用于划分意识以集中或减少意识的过程。 它以无数的形式出现，比如做白日梦，或者全神贯注于一本书或电视节目。 它在临床上出现在催眠或多重人格等病理学中，也是一种文化现象，如萨满教的精神之旅或伏都教的附身恍惚。 分离通常被解释为减轻压力的一种手段。 研究表明，其他文化介导的分离做法（例如，集中冥想）通过增加激活压力反应的阈值来影响压力反应的生理学。 这意味着这些人经历的压力较小，尽管他们生活中的潜在压力源保持不变。 没有研究测试类似的阈值调解分离在宗教背景下。 五旬节是一个很好的候选人，这样的研究。 这是一种形式的福音派新教认为glossolalia作为礼物和标志的神圣。 为了检验言语障碍与应激反应之间的关系，本研究利用前期研究的数据编制了一份测量言语障碍经历的问卷。 将语言障碍的经历与皮质醇和α-淀粉酶水平（两种应激反应的生物标志物）以及解离和自我感知压力的其他问卷测量进行比较。 除了语言障碍，研究者还将测试文化共识对压力的影响。 文化共识是指个人在多大程度上符合文化行为模式。 这项研究很重要，因为它将进一步科学地理解文化和人类生物学之间的关系。它也可能对公共健康有益，因为减轻压力可以降低许多与压力相关的健康问题的风险。此外，研究将有助于研究生的教育。

State University of New York (Albany) graduate student Christopher D. Lynn, supervised by Dr. Lawrence M. Schell, will test the hypothesis that the cultural phenomenon of Pentecostal glossolalia (speaking in tongues), a form of dissociation, has physical, stress-reducing benefits. Dissociation is a psychological construct for processes that partition consciousness to focus or reduce awareness. It appears in myriad forms, such as daydreaming or absorption in a book or television program. It occurs clinically in hypnosis or in pathologies such as multiple personality and is also a cultural phenomenon, as in shamanic spirit journeys or the possession trance of voodoo. Dissociation is often functionally interpreted as a means of reducing stress. Research suggests that other culturally-mediated dissociative practices (e.g., focused meditation) affect the physiology of stress response by increasing the threshold at which it is activated. This means such people experience less stress although the potential stressors in their lives remain the same. There are no studies testing a similar threshold mediation for dissociation in religious contexts. Pentecostalism is an excellent candidate for such research. It is a form of evangelical Protestantism that regards glossolalia as a gift and sign of the divine. To test the relationship between glossolalia and stress response, pilot study data were used to develop a questionnaire to measure glossolalia experience. Glossolalia experience will be compared to cortisol and alpha-Amylase levels, two biomarkers of stress reactivity, and to additional questionnaire measures of dissociation and self-perceived stress. In addition to glossolalia, the researcher will test the effect of cultural consensus on stress. Cultural consensus is the degree to which individuals live up to cultural models of behavior. This will be measured using questionnaires related to religiosity and faith maturity.This research is important because it will further scientific understanding of the relationship between culture and human biology. It also may have public health benefits because stress reduction reduces risk for many stress-related health problems. In addition, the research will contribute to the education of a graduate student.