The seed for The Rocamora School,
Inc. and the teachings it extends, was planted in founder
Mary Rocamora's childhood, with her introduction to the Baha'i
religion. The Baha’i Faith was billed as the final evolutionary
step in a succession of historic religions that had all contributed
to man’s spiritual edification. But the Baha’i Faith had it all. It
promoted gender and racial equality, a more equitable distribution
of wealth, and a system of community-based assemblies to govern our
spiritual and temporal life. Mary discovered it also meant being
continually reminded that a Baha’i had to have a more mature
understanding of God and His designs for man. Even as a child, she
was expected to be perfect, leaving an unseen trail of stifled
emotions and repressed needs. As a result of not being perfect
enough, the wrath of God was always stalking her.
The deeper she went into the Baha’i
teachings the more she saw the hidden underbelly of
distortion. Every nuance of the Faith she felt a kinship with was
tainted. It became apparent that her authentic desire to evolve was
actually at risk and her survival depended upon removing herself
from the reach of her parents by means of her academic ambitions.
Through intense focus and hard work Mary left high school at age
15. She went on a scholarship to attend the experimental ‘Early
Entrance Program’ at the University of Chicago. She completed two
years of the program and left ahead of schedule to pursue studies
in cultural anthropology at the University of the Philippines.
In addition to completing her
Bachelors degree, she did a number of field studies in
various
aspects of comparative culture and land use patterns with mountain
area tribal groups - including headhunters. These field studies
drew Mary's attention to the subject of comparative belief systems.
She found that medical conditions that could be cured in one tribe
could not be effectively treated in another one because of the
tribes' differing beliefs. This led her to take a closer look at
individual beliefs, where she found significant parallels. As her
field studies in the Philippines came to an end she returned to the
United States to continue her educational pursuits, achieving a
Masters degree in Anthropology from Cornell University and in
Psychology from the University of Colorado.
Her career took shape as she began
counseling gifted adults and looking at how their belief
systems impacted their self-actualization. Her practice in Denver
was flourishing and things expanded further when she met two
leading edge Primal Scream Therapists. They were three peas in a
pod and Mary quickly integrated into the wacky team of ‘the Denver
Feeling Center.’ Together they created a niche doing what no one
else could even think of and it was magic (as illustrated in their
flyer, shown below).
THE DENVER FEELING CENTER HAS A
PHILOSOPHICAL BELIEF THAT A TOTAL FOCUS ON PHILOSOPHICAL BELIEFS
AND OTHER INTELLECTUAL GAMES IS BORING...WHAT MATTERS IS THAT WE
FEEL AND HAVE WHAT WE WANT ALL THE TIME! IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS
BELIEF, THE CENTER EXISTS SOLELY FOR THE FUN AND ENJOYMENT OF THE
STAFF AND ANYONE WHO WISHES TO JOIN THEM. WE ENCOURAGE OUR CLIENTS
TO GO ON MAGIC HUNTS, BUY THEMSELVES PRESENTS AND MEET WITH
IMAGINARY FRIENDS. ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE WELCOME TO
BRING THEIR STUFFED ANIMALS TO CENTER FUNCTIONS. SERIOUS FEELINGS
OF ANGER, HOPELESSNESS, AND OTHER PAINFUL STRUGGLES ARE ALSO
INVITED TO ATTEND THE CENTER MEETINGS. THESE FEELINGS MAY REMAIN
SERIOUS AS LONG AS THEY WISH. BUT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO REMAIN IN PAIN
MUST BE WARNED THAT WITHOUT EXTREME EFFORT ON THEIR PART, IT MAY BE
DIFFICULT IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF TOYS, DANCING FROGS AND MAGIC POWER
SPOTS...THE CENTER HOWEVER, DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANYONE
FROM BEING A CERTAIN COLOR, SEX, OR IN A PARTICULAR SET OF UNHAPPY
FEELINGS. CENTER STAFF STRONGLY FEEL THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE
TO LAUGH AND CRY TO THEIR OWN CONTENT. THE ONLY RULE THE CENTER
OPERATES BY IS: NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO FEEL OR BEHAVE A CERTAIN WAY
IF THEY DON'T WANT TO. YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED HOW DIFFICULT IT ITS
TO ENFORCE THIS RULE. IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS DIFFICULTY PEOPLE HAVE
IN BEING WHO THEY WANT TO BE THAT THE CENTER HAS DECIDED TO CHARGE
ALL CLIENTS FOR OUR SERVICES. ANYONE INTERESTED IN BEING WHO YOU
WANT TO BE WITH US, INCLUDING LEARNING TO MAKE A FOOL OF YOURSELF
AND ENJOY IT, PLEASE CALL!
BRUCE, BROOKE
& MARY
DENVER FEELING CENTER ... 831-9050
The ‘Denver Feeling Center' became a
hive of activity. People traveled from far and wide to
work with this trinity of infinite possibilities. One client was a
man from an artists’ community in Taos, NM. He enjoyed working with
Mary so much that he insisted she come to Taos and give a
presentation to his fellow artists. Mary happily obliged and it
caught like wildfire. Before she could blink she was living in a
little adobe house within the artists’ community and was commuting
between Colorado and New Mexico regularly.
The next big change came in 1978
through a group of Los Angeles-based actors who were in
Denver on a film project. After their experience with Mary they
insisted she come to Los Angeles. She knew it was an important
career move for her. Giving the idea greater weight was Mary's
actor husband, who also felt it was a mutually beneficial growth
step.
Mary settled into Los Angeles quickly
as the actors made it worth her while with many
referrals. So once again her practice was growing and the work with
gifted clients itself was evolving. She founded the Rocamora
School, Inc. in 1984 to expand her work into a non-profit
organization.
But it was not until a sudden halt in
her private work in late 1992, leaving her with nothing but
space, that the writing of the Personal Journey Course work began.
A deeper understanding within her had awakened and all she had to
do was play secretary to it. The Course combined years of private
counseling experience and an ever-growing understanding of how much
inner freedom the gifted required to fully realize their talents.
Each unique peer process class built upon the last in cultivating a
free state of awareness, demystifying the process of
self-actualization through curiosity, willingness and presence.
The School continues expanding upon
an endless body of work, even more accessible today,
thanks to the internet. It offers an invitation to anyone who wants
to discover their inner dimensions with fellow explorers, to fully
live their unique potential.
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© - The Rocamora School,
Inc.
