Do you need to FEEL that the Holy Spirit has come upon you to know that it is within you?

I just read someone's answer to another question over here. She said that she felt the Spirit and it changed everything and that the Scriptures started making sense and her love for God grew. So my question is - does a person really need to FEEL all this like a rush of wave , like a sudden CHANGE in everything to know that they have the Spirit? And why is it that not all believers experience this? I am sure many of you know about people starting to speak in different tongues when the Holy Spirit fell upon them in Acts. The Pentacost day, isn't it?
I mean - why doesn't it happen to everyone.

The Holy Spirit is not felt. But people whether they are believers or unbelievers can work themselves up into an emotional frenzy. It has has nothing to do with the spiritual life. It is more akin to insanity.

You have asked a great question. Given you list your Spiritual status is unsure I can understand you concern over a visual experience regarding salvation.

Ro 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

Salvation is by grace received through faith. Eph 2:9-10

Faith is unseen. Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The evidence that is to be in every believer is the newness of life.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Hello and Welcome to CC, Scarlett,
I suggest that you read the book of Acts carefully. You'll see that some people experienced manifestations such as speaking in tongues, while some didn't. Similarly, today some people feel a change and some don't. There is no certain sign, such that those experiencing the sign have the Holy Spirit and those not experiencing it don't. Generally, people do feel differently over time. It's certainly not normative for people to feel very differently right away.

That's why Paul wrote about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 and why Peter wrote about adding one aspect of the Christian life to another. We grow in Christ, and the Holy Spirit works inside us to change us from reprobate sinners into the likeness of Christ; the change can be slow or fast. We need to let feelings (or physical sensations) be secondary to facts and faith, not to be the primary indicators, and we shouldn't seek particular feelings, sensations, or manifestations, but allow them to come if they do.

In my case, I began feeling the fruit of the Holy Spirit which includes faith. It was an inner experience that caused me to believe. “The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:16 (NET)

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).

The fruit of the Spirit is (Galatians 5:22-23):

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Longsuffering
• Gentleness
• Goodness
• Faith
• Meekness
• Temperance

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth (Ephesians 5:9).

Those who do not have the Spirit are described in great detail in Jude.

Ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ...Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities...these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves...These are spots in your feasts of charity...feeding themselves without fear...trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration...These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

So it is not about feeling the Spirit.

If you have the Spirit, or do not have it, you will know by the fruit of your actions. Likewise you can tell if others have it by the same manner.