Depends on the type of IMC your in.
if your in really turbulent air then it may better to hand fly the plane, if
its basically smooth then use the autopilot if you have one.
Using the auto pilot frees you up to do other things like checking your
arrival/approach plates, writing down clearances and so on. Plus on long
XC's your not wore out from hand flying the plane.
Auto pilots are not for the lazy, they are for people wanting to be safer,
single pilot IFR you want all the help you can get.

Jon Kraus wrote:

Just curious as to opinions about flying in IMC without an autopilot?
Does an autopilot make flying in the clouds safer or is it just a crutch
for the lazy?
For myself being new to IFR flying I feel safer knowing that if needed I
could turn the autopilot on. Maybe it is a false sense of security...

Jon Kraus
PP-ASEL
Student-IA