If you turn away from the shoreline, you'll instantly be confronted with a featureless, gray void. You'll have nothing by which to judge your altitude or the airplane's attitude.
Except an AI and Altimeter.
They might prevent spatial disorientation but once the eyes are inside on the dials you'd better be damn sure of exactly where you are otherwise you could easily hit something even harder than water.
I think Wally is spot on about discipline - equally important for all pilots whether VFR or IFR. IMHO it is critical not to keep pushing on until you only have one option left - because if you lose that one you're probably 
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