( CNN ) -- Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes ' dazed demeanor during his first court appearance has given rise to a multitude of theories about his mental state , ranging from full-blown psychosis to little more than being `` some freak , '' as one victim of the shooting rampage described him after the hearing . Holmes , with bright orange-dyed hair , appeared to stare blankly off into space for much of the proceedings . At times , he closed his eyes and his head nodded as if he were falling asleep . At others , he opened his eyes wide and looked straight ahead . He never spoke . Holmes is accused of donning head-to-toe protective gear and wielding at least three weapons to kill 12 people and wound 58 in a shooting rampage during an early Friday morning screening of the new Batman movie at a theater in Aurora , Colorado . Authorities say he also rigged a complex and deadly booby trap at his nearby apartment . Opinion : The overwhelming maleness of mass homicide . After the attack , Holmes identified himself to police as `` The Joker , '' Batman 's archenemy . Some have speculated the 24-year-old Aurora man was heavily medicated during his initial court appearance Monday . Others have suggested he was in the midst of a psychotic breakdown and hearing voices . Others say he may have just been exhausted , or feigning mental illness to game the judicial system . `` He has no right to come into court looking like he has a sad face . It 's not right , '' shooting survivor Corbin Dates said after the hearing . `` The look that he has right now is not something that 's going to be believable by anyone . '' Holmes may have been medicated , said Chicago clinical psychologist Daniela Schreier . But she said an underlying mental health issue seems likely , as well . HLN : Holmes ' defense no strangers to big cases . Some people may think Holmes was a longtime psychopath who turned to violence to show the world he could make a lasting mark , she said . After seeing him in court , though , Schreier said she believes Holmes suffered a psychotic breakdown as recently as this spring , triggering his decision to drop out of graduate school , start buying weapons and launch his attack amid paranoid delusions , she said . If Holmes was on medication , that may have made him appear more drowsy , making it more difficult to get a complete picture of his mental state , she said . Asked Monday whether Holmes was medicated for his court appearance , Arapahoe County Undersheriff David C. Walcher said he did not know , and could n't reveal that information to the media even if he did . Dr. Mark Levy , a forensic psychiatrist in Mill Valley , California , said he does n't think Holmes ' behavior was due to medication . Instead , he said , Holmes ' blank , emotionless expression fits what happens in a psychotic breakdown that severs a person 's ability to distinguish reality from fantasy . `` Whatever is happening on the outside of him is like a fly buzzing around the room , something you occasionally take note of , '' he said . The rest of the time , he explained , a person in such a state is inwardly dealing with an invisible roiling chaos , unaware of what 's going on around him . Chris Cline , vice president of clinical services at Skyland Trail , a mental health services facility in Atlanta , said it 's not clear from Holmes ' appearance whether mental illness is a factor . Opinion : Looking into the minds of killers . `` I think we need to see what comes out with more data before we rush to judgment about whether he has a mental illness or something else that 's different than that , '' he said Tuesday on CNN . Criminal defense lawyer B.J . Bernstein also cautioned against rushing to judgment . Holmes could be `` bewildered '' as a result of his sudden change in circumstances , or he could just be exhausted , she said . `` I do n't take the bizarre behavior yesterday as confirmation of mental illness , '' she said . The issue continued to be a topic of discussion Tuesday , with commenters on CNN and other online venues debating what the unusual appearance meant . `` He 's a pathological , homicidal sociopath . He literally has no feelings for those around him , '' said one commenter on CNN.com who went by the screen name JR4 . `` Like his acting job in court ? He knows that spending life in a psych ward with meds will be a lot better than spending hard time on death row in a maximum security prison . '' HLN 's Dr. Drew Pinsky believes it 's likely that Holmes is suffering from some sort of mental illness , and probably should have been on medication if he was n't already . In many ways , however , he said Monday 's court appearance speaks for itself . `` You can draw your own conclusions , '' Pinsky said Monday on his show . `` Not a normal guy . '' Remembering the Colorado shooting victims .
The shooting suspect 's demeanor in court is instructive , experts say . Comment: Theories range from medication to a complete break with reality , experts say .