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I've been doing metal bending for a while now. I've also started dabbling in mentalism and the combination seems really powerful.
The reactions I've had to doing this have been phenomenal - but it seems to stop there. People are genuinely freaked out - but apart from being entertaining to me and those who are 'in on it' (friends who have seen it before), I can't help feeling that I'm fooling myself into thinking that I'm entertaining the people I'm performing for (I see why some people refer to the spectators as victims).
This is definitely not my intention - and while i enjoy the reaction I would like for it to be a bit more meaningful than seeing someone go pale, or shriek and run away. (This isn't in the context of a paid performance where people have chosen to come and be entertained - but in a more impromptu setting). I've read Derren Brown's two books and I like where he's going with them - but I do feel quite far away from achieving what he does.
Any ideas/advice/comments??

Is the problem possibly because your spectators are watching you do something, so they are detached from the process and see it as you having the ability to do something out of the ordinary? If they were involved in the process might they find that whole thing more acceptable do you think? If it came accross that what was happening was something that anyone could do with the right proactice and you are just guiding their minds to allow them to do it for themselves they might be less 'Freaked Out' and more emotionally effected.

I guess you're right there. A lot of the stuff I do that generate that kind of reaction would be where the person isn't really expecting to see magic - like at a resturaunt where i tell the waitress there's something wrong with my fork and the fork bends while I'm talking to her etc. I guess it would be good for a candid camera show - and part of it has been the entertainment for me and the people I'm with. It's all done in good fun etc. but as far as making a connection etc - there's not much there.

Thanks for the help

Nickj is right.

Allowing the spec to become involved is far more memorable for them and their attention is more focused on what happens, rather than on you.

You'll find that the stronger effects happen where the spec shuffles the cards, cuts the deck, holds the deck, signs a card and can handle and inspect the deck or card before, during and after, simply because of their involvement.

These are all things that I look for when deciding to buy, or perform a trick.