'Psychic vampires' want their home designated as a temple

OBERLIN — They call themselves "psychic vampires" and they want their home to be designated as a temple. Michelle Belanger and her wife, Elyria Little, asked the Oberlin Planning Commission on Wednesday to treat their South Street residence just like it would a church or synagogue. Under the name Inspiration House LLC, the couple has owned the property for the past year and a half. They host religious classes on meditation, developing psychic powers, communicating with spirits and faith healing. Belanger has been registered as clergy in Ohio since 1999 and is the author of about 30 books, including "The Psychic Vampire Codex." She also travels extensively to work on television projects such as "Portals to Hell: Eastern State Penitentiary" and "Paranormal State." She said six to 12 people gather at her home a couple of times each month to talk about their beliefs and worship privately. Members of The Temple of Wisdom are mostly women ages 30 to 60 who are college educated, she said. She wants the city to offer them a measure of protection by voting to recognize the temple. Belanger said that when she moved to Medina in 2004, "enough neighbors were very leery, based simply on rumor" that it caused problems. One called the police, hoping officers would find drugs or other contraband, she said. The couple said they went to the Oberlin Planning Commission to avoid similar problems. "We really just wanted transparency," Belanger said. They want to stave off any "satanic panic"-type response to their faith. In an interview prior to the meeting, Belanger said she feels Oberlin is more accepting than Medina. Still, "Anybody who calls themselves a vampire, much like anybody who calls themselves a witch, there's a lot of baggage that comes with that," she said. Qi, prana, chi, mana, the Force — many cultures believe in an energy that surrounds the world and binds living things together. Those who worship at The Temple of Wisdom think some people have an inborn ability to take that energy and shape it. "Magic isn't the right word. I think it gives the wrong impression. But to be able to influence the world around them," Belanger said. Psychic vampirism even comes with a code of ethics, and Belanger literally wrote the book on them: "Respect anybody you take energy from. Do so only with permission. And make it a celebration of the life that you're sharing, because they're giving you a gift." Religion wasn't the Planning Commission's sticking point Wednesday. Money was. Commission member Tony Mealy said the couple's property is listed on Airbnb as a short-term rental for up to five people. Under Oberlin's ordinances, it should be regulated as a "rooming house," he argued. Churches and other places of worship can have living quarters such as rectories, but they can't charge patrons to stay there, he said. "I don't see where we give a designation of a church if it's actually a residential unit," Mealy said. Planning Director Carrie Handy said the matter went to the commission as a religious use request at the advice of Law Director Jon Clark. Mealy stuck to his guns, saying The Temple of Wisdom would have to abide by city code. After lengthy debate, the Planning Commission tabled the issue until January and is awaiting a written opinion from Clark about how to proceed. "I don't think it's reasonable to consider these folks a problem," Commission Chair Matt Adelman said . He said at first blush he'd worried the temple request was a ploy to avoid paying property taxes, but after looking into it decided that was not the case. Belanger and Little said they are a for-profit organization and happy to pay taxes to support the community. "I love everything about Oberlin," Belanger said. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.