Lion's Mane: Neuro, Cognitive, & Addiction Healing with A Legal, Safe, Medicinal, and Non-Hallucinogenic Gift from Nature

Lion’s Mane

Sources:

1. Paul Stamets https://fungi.com/ 

2. Cleveland Clinic https://health.clevelandclinic.org/lions-mane-mushrooms-benefits

This article goes over Lion's Mane legal mushroom as a supplement for brain, cognitive & behavioral healing, and serve as an aid against a lack of focus, overall stress manangemetn, and depression. As with other adaptogens, it can modulate stress & help treat burnout. As an adjacent therapy in stable individuals, it can support proper addiction therapy & addiction treatment plan, long-term sobriety management, and prevent relapse.

Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is generally well-tolerated and shows significant promise for nerve regeneration by stimulating Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) production through compounds called erinacines and hericenones. Preclinical studies indicate it promotes peripheral nerve regeneration, reduces neuropathic pain, and supports neuronal survival. It is commonly used for cognitive health.

Lion's Mane is a legal, safe, medicinal, and non-hallucinogenic mushroom. It is classed as a supplement and food. It works well for focus and lifting the mood.

As a shaman I recommend this natural remedy to heal from a variety of brain disorders, from cognitive restructuring to aid and speed behavioral therapy, to addiction management and addiction healing against long-term brain damage from drug or alcohol abuse.

Do not take with other drugs or alcohol. See your trusted doctor, therapist, or healer if you have questions.

As an adaptogen, it will help modulate your stress response and promote calm by regulating and strengthening the adrenals. As such it can be used safely and with caution to heal adrenal stress or adrenal exhaustion. This means it can serve as an adjacent therapy to healing and recovering from burnout.

It may sound too good to be true, but many naturally occurring medicines are simply like this - there is a whole world of biodiversity out there, and fungus doesn't solely serve humans. It's an underpinning support for the world ecosystem.

For further reading on the mycelium world and how it supports life and harmony on the entire planet, including research on the efficacy of fungi as natural medicine, I recommend Paul Stamets as a source. https://fungi.com/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Stamets

Treatment Course

In all cases, I recommend natural lion's mane, organic (and biological if you can find it). Capsules are fine, as dosing and tracking is easiest that way. Mr. Stamets has an excellent and pure product, which I have personally used over the years, and recommend: https://fungi.com/collections/host-defense

You can also find an appropriate local supply which serves you best, and is pure and organic.

I recommend at least a 3 month course, take up to 2000-4000mg a day in divided doses. Or take as needed, within reason and safety. Do this a few times a year as needed. There is very low risk for overdose or toxicity. As always use your common sense. Read your body, Watch for any stomach upset or again, mania. It’s so rare though. And it does help with depression too.

It's actually one of my everyday all-the-time natural supplements. The abuse factor is very very low. But watch to make sure you don’t get too speedy or rushed. I think there’s no upper limit for lion’s mane either. Just diminishing returns if the body gets used to it. So maybe a day off here and there, if it stops having the desired effect. You can build a resistance over time, but taking off days resets this.

Key Findings on Nerve Regeneration:

 • NGF Stimulation: Lion's mane contains compounds (erinacines in the mycelium, hericenones in the fruit body) that increase nerve growth factor (NGF), which is essential for the growth, maintenance, and survival of neurons.

 • Peripheral Nerve Repair: Studies in rats demonstrated that lion's mane extract promoted the regeneration of injured peripheral nerves, leading to improved functional recovery.

 • Neuroprotection: It may help repair nerve cells after traumatic brain injuries (e.g., stroke) and has been shown to reduce neuroinflammation.

 • Myelin Support: Research suggests potential benefits in supporting myelin repair, improving nerve signal conduction.

 • Blood-Brain Barrier: Compounds in lion's mane can cross the blood-brain barrier, making them effective for potential neurodegenerative disease applications. 

Supporting Evidence & Limitations:

 • Animal & Lab Studies: Extensive research (in vitro and in vivo) confirms neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects.

 • Usage: It is often consumed as a dietary supplement (capsules, powders) or in its natural form (cooked). 

So, Lion’s Mane shows real promise and good outcomes.

Everyone deserves to feel good, outside of illicit drugs or alcohol. Lion’s Mane helps with that too. 

For those in recovery: Be gentle with yourself & practice self-forgiveness. We all carry too much guilt. A well-honed conscience can keep us safe, but a too-harsh one can lead us to self-sabotage and weaken us against our daily sobriety journey. Stay with it, stay the course, stay stable & well. Stay soul-nourished & happy. Self-respect, self-care, counseling. Stay out of trouble  Eat well, rest, restore. Boundary work. Proactive thinking. Ethos, pathos, logos, kronos. Maintain. Time heals all. Give yourself time. Honor & heal your personal story, your history, your mythos. We all have so much tapestry to weave still.

As the Dutch say, "Alles is mogelijk" - anything is possible. We can all remember and benefit from that.

In my personal experience over the years:

I healed my delusional schizophrenia from a 3 month course of 1000mg four to six times a day. I used Fungi Perfecti Lion's Mane by Paul Stamets. https://fungi.com/products/lions-mane-capsules?variant=8661321908336 At the time I was also taking broad-spectrum cbd, then full-spectrum. There were diminishing returns after 4-8 weeks when I was taking it all the time as I wanted. So I took a day off here and there. Your body can build resistance over time, as with any supplement or medicine, but taking “off days” resets this.

mania.

This and several chapters of healing helped me open my abilities to clarity, into a highly gifted state. This was after extensive breath work, meditation, working with sober practitioners & caregivers, and getting outside my comfort zone.

it can serve as a proper nootropic, even as a supplement to or replacement for stimulant-based attention deficit meds. It actually helps the low-brewing anxiety and irritation that I get with add, and is really good for focus. It also helps with depression and overall outlook. Lion’s Mane also shows excellent potential in substance recovery, such as neuronal damage caused from hypnotics, dissociatives, "downers" and "uppers", really drugs of all kinds. Choose a sobriety path and consider Lion's Mane as a sober supplement to aid recovery. Be gentle to yourself, and allow self-forgiveness. Don't perpetuate guilt which could weaken you against re-taking drugs or alcohol.

It is said that healers - especially shamans - often get very sick, or start sick, as a trial by fire. It’s just life. It’s our burden in this life, to heal ourselves as much as we heal others.

It’s all worth it.

Lion's Mane as Concentrates - Not Recommended

Lion's Mane concentrate is often unnecessarily strong and has higher risk of mania. I’m also concerned that Lion's Mane concentrate is often a tincture (alcohol), regardless of the fact that one dropper is mixed in with your water, coffee, tea, etc. Most importantly, a concentrate may not have all the neuroregenerative compounds in the right rations for proper activation. The balance in the natural form of lion's mane, even trace compounds, minerals and elements, is what makes it work well.

Natural is best, but the concentrate may still serve well as an interim if you can't find real, bio lion's mane. It can still be a real speedup for work, or sometimes even to just get through any urgent situation.

Also if it does happen to be in the right ratios after all, it could mean avoid having to take the usual course of 2000mg-4000mg in divided doses throughout the day.

Always your friendly neighborhood healer, shaman, & overall medical nerd,

Kat Fedukowski

Sources:

1. Paul Stamets https://fungi.com/ 

2. Cleveland Clinic https://health.clevelandclinic.org/lions-mane-mushrooms-benefits