'I've cheated death TWICE - I'll never forget what I saw in the last moments'

It's one of life's greatest mysteries and a question that has been asked since the dawn of time. What really happens when we die?

From entering a black void to reincarnation, there are many views and beliefs about death that vary across different cultures and ideologies.

Pete Mackenzie Hodge is among those who almost experienced the afterlife – saying his near-death experiences led to several ethereal encounters.

READ MORE: 'I was treated differently when I went to a business without my dad - let this be a warning'

The 38-year-old, from Urmston, first came close to the brink of death after graduating from university in October 2008.

The primary school tutor had just completed his studies when he was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 22.

“At the time, that was a major shock for myself and my family,” the dad-of-one told the Manchester Evening News. “I went from playing drums and football to that diagnosis. It meant I spent most of that year in and out of The Christie receiving chemotherapy.”

Pete underwent surgery which swapped his bones for titanium, but just a year later, his body began rejecting the foreign materials and he ended up in a critical condition.

Fighting for his life in the intensive care unit, Pete had to make the impossible decision to amputate his leg.

“I didn’t want to die so went through with the amputation,” he added. “It was above the knee and then I went back to The Christie for more chemotherapy.”

Pete continued with his treatment until June 2009 when he had to learn how to walk all over again through an intense physio regime.

“I was grateful to be alive,” he added. “It sounds like a really difficult decision to make, which it was, but it was such a dramatic time that I didn’t