Great food for thought. The illusions can be very real, and have no doubt caught out many a luckless pilot. I personally don't rely on the VSI after takeoff, but do use the Attitude Indicator. I hold ten degrees nose up (or more if a jet) until above at least 500 feet and don't touch anything but the gear, leaving power and flap at the takeoff setting until then. I guess is it possible for an AI to fail, but it is easy to check that the airplane is climbing and that is all I need at that point. The actual rate is not that important. Watching the AI also helps to keep the wings level and that stops a rapid descent building up if the airplane overbanks.
KE lost a B747 at Stansted when the captain's AI failed, so it is not an infallible method, but the VSI tells you what has happened, it does not tell you what is about to happen, as does the AI.
Good stuff to think about before it is needed.