Ghost of Doors frontman Jim Morrison not a hoax, experts say of photograph

Jim Morrison in life (above) and death (below)

A picture taken at the grave of iconic Doors frontman Jim Morrison in 1997 is making the rounds again, this time because experts say that the apparition in the photo is not a hoax.

Researchers who studied the fabled photograph (below) have concluded that the ethereal image to the left of rock historian Brett Meisner isn't the result of lighting or manipulation, opting to describe the cloudy spectre as "unexplainable."

Looking at the snapshot, taken at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, there's no mistaking what appears to be a ghostly image of Morrison in a crucified pose alongside the mugging Meisner.

Why is the purported picture of the lizard king trying to break on through from the other side back in the public light after all these years? Consider it all a bit of well-placed publicity for the book Ghosts Caught on Film 2: Photographs of the Unexplained, in which the photo appears. The first edition didn't feature any celebrity spectres, so the publishers are probably hoping a little help from beyond might spur sales.

I'll play along. As many times as I wanted to write this story off, it just kept coming back to haunt me. Hopefully I won't get haunted as badly as Meisner, who claims he wishes the photo was never taken.

"Part of me wishes that I never stepped foot into the graveyard in the first place," he told the UK's Sunday Express. He said that in the years following the picture his wife not only left him, but he also lost a close friend to a drug overdose, much like happened to the Doors frontman. Then there are the countless crazies showing up at his doorstep saying they have messages for him from Morrison.

"At first it was sort of interesting to see how many people felt a spiritual bond with Jim and the photo," he told the paper, "but now the whole vibe seems negative."

I have my own explanation of the "unexplained" - People are strange.