What is the recommended response if instrument indications disagree with the pilot's perception?

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Spatial disorientation can fool your sense of orientation in instrument conditions. When what you feel disagrees with what the instruments show, you should cross-check across multiple instruments and rely on the primary attitude readout. The attitude indicator gives the direct, real-time view of pitch and bank, and checking it against other instruments—such as the airspeed indicator, altimeter, turn coordinator, and heading indicator (and the standby attitude indicator if available)—helps confirm the actual attitude and reveals any instrument failure. This discipline keeps you in control and prevents misperception from driving the aircraft into an unsafe attitude. Ignoring the instruments, departing IFR, trying to fix it with altitude changes, or switching to autopilot alone don’t address the mismatch and can compound the risk.