“A man wakes up in his hotel room speaking Swedish for the first time in his life”; “English speaking Welsh rises after a heart attack” and other holders of the same kind have been seen dotting here and there some publications. xenoglosia It is a term that defines the ability to speak a language never learned. But is it possible to “wake up” speaking another language different from ours without having learned before? The answer is no. It’s not possible. But we do not go so fast, it is not all that.

The paranormal origin of xenoglossy

Usually it attributed to the paranormal or supernatural xenoglossy origin. In fact, xenoglossy is contemplated in matters of faith, together with the “gift of tongues”. In both cases the person is able to speak a language completely unknown form of an infused. The gift of tongues in Christianity is attributed to a gift from God. Xenoglossy is a little more peregrine and not always subject to theological questions. It may be due to a “possession” to the influence of a gnostic power or any other mystical reason. But what is it exactly? Yes, as we said, it is xenoglossy suddenly start talking in another language entirely different from native. In almost all cases this is subject to an inability of the person to speak their native language, although there are rare cases in which both languages ​​are shared. However, the latter are more related to a state of fugue, amnesia or other psychiatric issues. But then xenoglossy there

When you wake up speaking Swedish

Everything has its explanation. Almost all cases have been documented xenoglossy as part of a neurological problem origin. The vast majority of them is related to a traumatic event, a problem of blood supply or an accident. Stress also has a lot to say. In short, a problem that causes a change in our brain. Our central nervous system is incredibly complex. We own neural centers dedicated exclusively to communication: listen, process, understand and respond, for example. There are disorders that prevent the right brain to communicate with the left. Or injuries that prevent us from utter a single word, even if we understand what we mean. One of these problems may be precisely the impediment to speak our native tongue. An injury to Broca’s area may prevent speak properly, forming sentences or even issuing meaningful words. So suddenly we started talking with words remotely resembling what we mean no possibility of giving a realistic sense. In this particular phenomenon rather than xenoglossy it is known as glossolalia. Just awakening “speaking Swedish”.

False xenoglossy

But probably still not be content with the explanation. And the truth is that actually xenoglossy as such real … does not exist. But then holders who spoke are false? No, not at all. But they refer to false cases xenoglossy. And they are false because people actually speaking of himself studied its one of the languages ​​that purport to speak now. Or remember words learned in another language as part of earlier events in your life. Thus, there are numerous documented cases in which those affected suddenly begin to drop a tirade of words with origins in another language but mixed with their own or misused. For example, a famous case of an Italian patient due to a heart problem started French chapurrear. It was impossible to have a long conversation, but you could communicate fairly and with words and sentences taken href=”https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2016.04.020″> . This person had learned some French in high school, some forty years earlier