TEMPORARY LOSS OF ACFT CTL BY A PVT PLT IN A C172 WHEN GOING IMC DURING VFR FLT NEAR LEW; ME.

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I WAS TRAVELING FROM BED TO LEW. LEFT BED IN CLR SKIES; UNRESTR; AND GOT A FLT BRIEFING AT BED. FROM PORTLAND TO LEW WAS NOT RECOMMENDED BY FLT BRIEFER. I THOUGHT I COULD AT LEAST GET TO MAINE AND PUT DOWN AT AN ALTERNATE ARPT. CONDITIONS REMAINED THE SAME FROM PORTLAND TO WITHING; 10 NM OF LEW. (VFR 10 MI VISIBILITY -- FOG ABOVE GND BUT BROKEN.) I GOT WITHIN 10 NM OF LEW WHEN THINGS GOT WORSE AND BEGAN TO HAPPEN FAST. I LOST SIGHT OF GND AND DSNDED TO 1000 FT MSL AND SAW TREES AND ANTENNA; DECIDED TO CLB INTO CLOUDS AND REVERSE DIRECTION. I GOT VERY DISORIENTED AND BEGAN LOSING CTL OF PLANE; IMMEDIATELY CALLED PORTLAND APCH AND ASK FOR HELP. THEY VECTORED ME BACK TO VFR AND 10 MI VISIBILITY. THEY DID A GREAT JOB KEEPING ME CALM AND ON COURSE AND LEVEL FLT. VECTORED ME TO 63B AND FOUND A HOLE IN FOG AND LANDED SAFELY. I WAS VERY SHOOK UP AT WHAT HAD HAPPENED BECAUSE OF MY POOR DECISION TO NOT TURN BACK SOONER. I FELT LIKE I WAS WITHIN SECONDS OF LOSING MY LIFE AND PAX. I AM PRESENTLY ENROLLED IN INST TRAINING AT AUGUSTO; ME. I ALSO PURCHASED AN IFR COURSE. I'VE HEARD AND READ STORIES OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN AND HOW FAST; BUT TO EXPERIENCE IT WAS THE BEST LESSON; ALTHOUGH NOT THE SMARTEST.