In the hand flying versus automation debate - in my opinion it is not so much the automation that has improved safety, it is the integrated display of information.
"I love the magenta line" in the sense that the navigation display gives in one glance a complete picture where I am in relation to (objects/places in) the real world - that's a lot easier than puzzling it all together from a set of needles and dials giving directions and distances towards beacons.
At the same time, common sense is required to deal e.g. with faulty waypoint sequencing, such as often occurs during close-in vectoring on approach. If that common sense is missing, than you are a slave, rather than a lover, of the magenta line.
The somatographic illusion - yes, it exists. Should you be able to counter it, well with a big artificial horizon in front of you and a simple, basically wings level attitude as a start point, yeah, one should be capable to deal with that one. It takes discipline, that's for sure and perhaps a bit of hands-on experience (... perhaps a little handflying, and not only in 100 nm vis, CAVOK weather ...)
Automation, be it Airbus or Boeing, beautiful, makes life easy, but still, if the machine doesn't perform as you want, two clicks and you are back in charge.
Edit for typo.