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Brett Meisner barely recalled the 1997 candid graveside photo shoot
when an assistant showed him the photo in 2002, pointing out the clearly
visible iconic image of Jim Morrison in the background. “I have
collected a lot of rock memorabilia over the past few decades so I
figured he was playing a joke on me,” explains Meisner. “But once we
found the negative and made larger prints, it was quite clear to all of
us that we had something odd and unique on our hands.”
Once word of the Morrison ghost photograph spread across the Internet,
both skeptics and avid Doors fans came knocking on Meisner’s door. A
British film crew from the show “Dead Famous” even flew to Los Angeles,
bringing along paranormal expert Chris Fleming who called the photo “one
of the best I’ve ever seen.” This publicity led to appearances on the
Biography channel and several prominent radio programs, but Meisner
began to realize the photo was causing more harm than good.
“I’ve had strangers come to my home at all hours of the night wanting to
talk to me saying they had messages from Jim,” explained Meisner. “At
first it was sort of interesting to see how many people felt a spiritual
bond with Jim and the photo, but now the whole vibe seems negative.”
A failed marriage and the loss of a young friend to a drug overdose were
just a few of the tragedies that have befallen Brett Meisner since he
rediscovered the photograph. “I’ve lost some high paying clients and
nothing but bad luck has plagued me for the past few years.” A spiritual
adviser and close friend recently told Meisner that they believe the
photograph is part of a curse and that he needs to find a respectful way
to part with the image and bring closure to both Brett and the spirit of
Morrison.
“Part of me wishes that I would have never stepped foot into the
graveyard in the first place,” admits Meisner. “While I also know I’m
partly to blame for talking about it in the first place. I should have
kept it to myself and not let the media have a field day with something
so special and private.
Meisner is currently trying to find a private and reputable organization
to donate the photos and negative. So far he has no takers.
Jim Morrison’s gravesite in Pere Lachaise is one of the most popular
tourist attractions in a cemetery filled with literary and cultural
icons such as Oscar Wilde, Honore de Balzac and Frederic Chopin. Over a
thousand people each day visit the gravesite where Morrison was laid to
rest in July 1971. Often the crowds are unruly and festive, a fact that
is looked down upon by the surviving family members of the nearby
graves. In fact, the French government almost moved the body of Morrison
in 2001 when the 30 year lease expired, citing his gravesite a nuisance
and unwanted attraction. However, pressure from the local artistic
community helped keep Jim safe and secure in his final resting place.
