I Scared Myself......

[acrophile]

I wouldn't call those scenarios "simulated IMC". Those conditions can require flying by reference to the instruments, and I agree that can be equivalent to flying through clouds for the purpose of instrument training.

Yup, those conditions are real instrument conditions (that is, conditions that require flight by reference to instruments), but still just simulated IMC. Instrument conditions are neither necessary or sufficient for IMC, as defined by the FAA; that is, you can have instrument conditions without IMC, and vice versa.