Twelve female inmates of the Cebu provincial jail recently behaved as if possessed by an evil spirit after looking at a portrait of a coconut crab, prompting a Catholic priest and a clinical expert to offer different explanations of the incident.

An examination by the jail physician showed that the inmates only suffered from stomach ache.

But the consultant on jail matters, Marco Toral, doubted the doctor’s findings, saying that the women prisoners exhibited superhuman strength that could not be restrained by six people.

Fr. Francis Lucas, director of the Catholic Media Network, explained that one should be careful to distinguish something as possession or simply a figment of one’s imagination.

There are different forms of possession which, Lucas said, can happen when one lacks faith or experiences extreme depression.

Dr. Estrela Tiongson-Magno, a clinical psychologist, on the other hand, gave a medical opinion.

Magno said it is possible that some inmates only lack attention, adding that persons, who have not experienced any appreciation from their family, usually resort to behaving as if they are possessed.

Whether the incident can be called a possession or not, the Catholic Church had only a word of caution to the faithful.