P.M.H. Atwater's answer:  With adult experiencers in my research base I noticed an interesting pattern to how most of them died. A little over half the men exited because of heart-related ailments, while another 25% were involved in some form of violence or violent accidents of various types. A whooping 70% of the women experienced their episode during childbirth, miscarriage, or hysterectomy. With the children, drownings were the number one killer, followed by suffocation, parental or sibling abuse, surgery (more from minor surgeries like tonsillectomies, than major surgery). 

I have long maintained that emergency wards are the place to "hang out" in search of near-death episodes, rather than in surgical rooms or at sick beds. Or, travel with EMTs on their life-saving calls to those who have been injured or whose life is suddenly at risk. It is the venue of "accident" or "suddenness" that seems to set the stage for most near-death experiences.

And, as Pim van Lommel, M.D. made it so clear in his ground-breaking study, those who did not have time to think, who had no thought of death or that they might die, these were by far the most likely individuals to experience the near-death phenomenon. He found that the longer a patient lingered, the less likely he or she was to have such an episode. 

So, dear Kapoor, I question the articles you have been reading. Perhaps they are not deep or broad enough. I would hardly say that the largest percentage of near-death cases come from sick people or from those who think they are about to die. However, about the idea that we only experience on the other side of death what we expect to experience - that idea is hotly debated. 

Almost all experiencers, at one point or another, claim, "they got what they needed," during and after their experience. What is termed "the need factor" is undeniable. It's almost as if these types of experiences, no matter how caused or what we call them, are triggered by some mechanism we have not been able to identify and/or some power source or "plane of being" that exists beyond that of the personality. Such a notion broaches on the existence of a soul or higher self. But note: the connection here is to "need" ... not desire.

Yet, some experiencers do indeed seem to visit the heaven or hell they have portrayed in their own mind and are certain exists as they have believed it does. And the treatment they received fulfilled their expectations. In the Idiot's book, there is a section devoted to the great Swedish genius and mystic, Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). During his mystical journeys and in his writings, he went to great lengths to explain what he had discovered about heaven and hell, that each was a construct the individual created by projecting their own values and fears upon the "lens" of their "inner view screeen" (the subconscious). And many contemporary researchers and scholars agree with him. His discoveries, though, "fall apart" in consideration of the following:

* Shared near-death states. There are cases in which several experiencers seem to share in each other's episode; that is they have the same or similar elements, scenario type, or basic storyline. Usually you encounter most of these when two or three people are involved in the same accident at the same time or are in the same general section of the hospital at the same time. Sometimes these states are experienced singly (one individual is not aware of the other during the episode but learns later on that both apparently had the same scenario). Sometimes the people involved are aware of each other, and are able to confirm the extent of that awareness after they are able to compare their separate stories.

* Group near-death states. These are rare, but they do occur. With this kind, a whole group of people simultaneously seems to experience the same or similar episode (as per above). What makes these so spectacular and challenging is that all or most of the experiencers see each other actually leave their bodies as their scenario begins, then dialogue with each other and share messages and observations while still experiencing the near-death state. Their separate reports afterward either match or nearly so. Reports like these emerge most often from events of a harrowing nature that involve a lot of people. (Please refer to The Complete Idiot's Guide for actual case studies of this - like "Hot Shots from Hell.")

Yes, you can trace some of the imagery and elements of a near-death experience to the inner life and expectations of the individual, but not all of it. Invariably the experiencer will be exposed to things he or she has no thought or background for. They encounter data and details impossible for them to know. And, afterwards? I don't know of any experiencer who had any expectations about the aftereffects, that there would even be any, or how to handle them - or how his or her life would be changed afterward. Remember, languaging is always a problem - there are no words to describe what most people encounter, at least none they are aware of. In choosing words to say, experiencers will offer use terms they have been exposed to, rather than trying to find or draw what they really saw and experienced. 

Do we always find what we expect with near-death experiences? Although it may seem so, at least at first, I would say - no, not really. We experience more, far more than we might ever suspect. Should we believe what we experience? That's up to you. The truth is, you are the only one who can validate your experience. No one else can do it for you.