The way McNamara leads the class we meditate to get centered and go within oneself, I would equate this with Focus 10+ in the Gateway Experience tapes language. From there, we raise our energy via controlled emotions. So put on super hype and happy music, think of the happiest moments in your life, try to capture a pure childlike joy. We do shout "Bend!" But I find it's not super necessary to shout, and it feels less like a command and more like excitement. I often find myself thinking wouldn't it be funny if this worked, wouldn't it be such a silly game if I could make it bend like I'm imagining it.
I don't feel as if it has a mind of its own really. I don't really think the spoon makes any kind of response. I hold it and focus on how it feels in my hands, the weight, the stiffness, even the air touching my hands where the spoon is not. My hands, the spoon, and the air are all ultimately expressions of the universal consciousness so maybe it's the case that none of us involved have a mind of our own, what a silly joke!
In terms of sensation, I feel "chills". So if you've ever had someone say something you were just thinking, or being part of a crowd that suddenly sees their sports hero win the game, or seeing a really beautiful sunset. There's a shiver that goes up your spine that I interpret as the energy rising. So I will get a full body flush of tingles and then I test the spoon with a light touch, if its ready it will bend like wet clay. I usually have to test it a few times before it's actually ready. If you've ever had to sneeze it's similar because you need to feel that tingle in your nose before you can look at a light or whatever to help the sneeze along.
Afterwards I usually feel tired but also fired up, like I felt getting off of a shift at a restaurant. Like I'm tired but also need to watch dumb TV for an hour before I could hope to fall asleep. Usually I crave something salty and high in vitamin C and typically have a few mugs of chicken broth with lemon juice it's really weirdly satisfying at that time.
I have a lot of theories about this stuff, and have had a lot of weird experiences. I hope this answers your questions and let me know if you have any others π§ββοΈπ₯°π§ββοΈ