I take your point Sunny and there is value in asking an instructor (with IFR qualifications) to take you up and expose you to actual IFR. I suspect that many would see it as a waste of money.
I couldn't help but notice in your story that it was your decisions and therefore your decision making processes that led you out of trouble. I have no idea how these skills were developed, you possibly have developed them through your other experiences in the work place and through sailing. They are not intuitive to all but they are the sort of skills that can be taught, trained and practised. Its not a case of intellectualising the situation but being taught and then developing the Non-Technical Skills that can help get you out of a situation like you found yourself in.
If the prevailing attitude is "I got away with it so others can" or "Everyone does it, its not that bad" or the classic "Its mind over matter" (like human physiology has nothing to do with IF) then its just a case of nothing to see here move along and just let Darwin take care of the rest.
