A NAVION PLT FLEW INTO IMC WHILE TRYING TO CLB OVER WX. LAF TRACON ISSUED AN IFR CLRNC AND HEADING TO CLR WX.

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NEAR LAFAYETTE SAW TOPS WHICH I GUESSED WERE AT 6500 FT. ASKED LAF APCH FOR CLB WHICH THEY GRANTED. APPEARED THAT WE WOULD CLR TOPS WHEN WE WERE IMMERSED IN TURBULENT IMC. IT TOOK ME ABOUT 15-30 SECONDS TO 'TRUST' MY INSTS AND REGAIN MY INST SCANNING SKILLS. IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME WE HAD CLBED 1000 FT AND HAD GONE FROM A 290 DEG HDG TO 240 DEG (DEEPER INTO IMC). I CONFESSED TO APCH THAT I WAS IN IMC. HE ASKED IF I WANTED AN IFR CLRNC WHICH I DID. HE BASICALLY CLRED ME FOR A MORE WNW COURSE AND I WAS BACK IN VMC WITH 3-5 MI. WE LANDED AT LAF REGIONAL BECAUSE FSS SAID WX WAS WORSE W OF LAFAYETTE. ALTHOUGH I RECEIVED A BRIEF AND HAD LOOKED AT RADAR IN SLIDELL; I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WX CAN CHANGE RADICALLY IN AN HR. GETTING FLT FOLLOWING WAS JUST A BANDAGE. THERE WAS ANOTHER PLANE TRYING TO DO THE SAME AND I THINK THE THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER WHO DID NOT FEEL THE RISK MADE MORE COMFORTABLE THAN NORMAL. I FEEL LIKE IF LAF APCH HAD CLRED ME TO 6500 FT THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH EASIER TO GET 'ON TOP.' FAILING THAT; IN RETROSPECT I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE DONE A 180 DEG WHEN I BECAME UNSURE WHETHER I WOULD CLR.