In my case the events were interpreted according to my charismatic presuppositions. If I babbled away for awhile in gibberish, well, then it "must have been" the gift of tongues! If I experienced an eerie feeling during a time of spiritual warfare, then it "must have been" the gift of discerning spirits. If God healed a sick person, then it "must have been" because the person who prayed over him has the gift of healing.

Even Sigmund Freud - known for "interpreting" dreams and building a whole world around the possible meaning of dream imagery - once said, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

Babbling in gibberish is just babbling. Feelings are just feelings. A sovereign act of God is just that. But as charismatics we were taught to always put meaning to ordinary events. It amounted, in my case, to little more than wishful thinking.