oppressednomore wrote:
While we are on this subject...I have to ask...and I'm almost afraid to bring it up, it was that tramatic.   When I was a tongue-talker, fully looking for the supernatural --because that would mean God was right there--I would have some terrible things happen when I was sleeping.  I'd have dreams about having powers and lights coming out of my hands and all of a sudden I'd wake up hissing!!  It'd scare the crap out of me and it happened more than once.  I'd be so terrified I'd just keep saying Jesus' name over and over because I felt like something OTHER than He was after me.  My husband can attest to these episodes, it would wake him up.

I really began to feel I was dabbling in the supernatural in a bad way and I wanted no part of it.  I suppose it all boils down to whether one believe in an "evil" side or not...but I stay way away from it all now.  I've not had those occurences since.  Was I opening myself up to the occult..I don't know.  It feel real and it felt bad!

It ties in with what stubborn envelope and night breeze have said.   As I've said before, I was Pagan and before being Pentecostal.  In other faiths where things such as speaking in tongues occur (voodoo, various shamanistic paths, etc)  There is a bit of structure, teaching and mentoring that goes along with it.   Sometimes this may have been developed or handed down for generations.   This helps prevent things like what happened to you.

In my experience on the Pagan side it was like learning to swim with a teacher explaining everything, showing me how, and putting a life jacket on me the first few times out.

In my experience on the Pentecostal side it was like a sweaty, fat guy pushing me off the edge and into the deep end of the pool while screaming "GLOW-RAY!"  in my face.

Whatever the guise, it is an altered state of consciousness.  It can have some rather dramatic effects (and after-effects) and not all of them may be good.  I personally think Pentecostals sometimes do a great harm by taking the "shove them into the deep end of the pool" approach. 

Edit - to add a bit more.
I remember once Mrs. Ox telling me that almost all of the tongue talking ladies in our church were on anti-depressants.   So, yes - based on my experiences I feel it can lead to depression and all manner of things that are not good if done without the proper training and structure. 

Last Edited By: Oxinaditch May 24 12 5:52 PM. Edited 1 times.