Introduction

Inspired by the movie "Limitless," where the protagonist achieves supernatural productivity thanks to the fictional drug NZT-48, the author of this article decided to conduct their own experiment with a real substance – Lion's Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus), also known as Yamabushitake. The goal of the experiment is to objectively assess the impact of this mushroom on cognitive functions, productivity, and overall well-being over 30 days.

What is Lion's Mane Mushroom?

Lion's Mane mushroom is a fungus that differs from psychedelics in that it does not affect consciousness and does not cause hallucinations. Its value lies in its content of unique compounds – erinacines and hericenones. It is hypothesized that erinacines stimulate the growth of new neurons, and hericenones strengthen existing neural connections. These compounds have not yet been found in any other organism. In recent years, Lion's Mane mushroom has gained popularity among bloggers and biohackers who claim it improves memory, concentration, and reaction time.

Experimental Methodology

The author set out to conduct the most objective research possible. For this purpose, the following methods were chosen:

1. Sensation Diary: Daily recording of subjective changes in well-being and productivity.
2. Objective Measurements: Conducting tests before starting lion's mane intake and after 30 days of its use to assess changes.
3. Productivity Control: Tracking the time actually spent working, rather than the total time spent at the workspace.

Objective Tests and Measurements

Reaction Speed Test

The test involved clicking the mouse on the screen when the red circle changed to green. 100 clicks were performed to obtain an averaged result.

• First measurement (before intake): The average reaction speed was 307 milliseconds.
• Second measurement (after 3 days, with caffeine and music): The average reaction speed was 294 milliseconds (an improvement of 13 ms). The author noted that caffeine might have influenced the result.

Typing Speed Test

The author independently developed a test to assess typing speed on Russian and English keyboard layouts.

• Average typing speed (Russian layout, before intake): 251 characters per minute.
• Average typing speed (English layout, before intake): 166 characters per minute.

Further measurements were taken after starting lion's mane intake, the results of which will be compared at the end of the article.

Stroop Test

This test assesses cognitive flexibility and the ability to ignore distractions. It consists of three parts:

1. Selecting the color of the word written.
2. Identifying the color of a rectangle while ignoring the written word.
3. Selecting the color of a word written in a different color.

The results of the first test run (before lion's mane intake) were recorded, but the author decided not to provide specific numbers as they planned to compare them with the results after the course.

Memory Test (Digit Span Test)

A test to memorize a sequence of digits and reproduce them in reverse order.

• First measurement (before intake): Maximum memorized number in forward order – 10 digits, in reverse order – 10 digits.
• Second measurement (after a few days): Maximum memorized number in forward order – 10 digits (on the second attempt), in reverse order – 13 digits.

Choosing and Taking Lion's Mane Mushroom

The author paid attention to choosing a quality product, noting that price can be an indicator of quality. The cost of a one-month course, according to his calculations, starts from 1000 rubles, but more reliable options can cost 3000-4000 rubles for a two-month course (at a dosage of 5g per day).

The author purchased lion's mane in powder form, consisting of 90% mycelium and 10% fruiting body. The powder was added to cappuccino. The taste is described as "cereal-like."

Sensation Diary: First Week

Day 1: After taking Lion's Mane at lunchtime, a "heavy head" sensation appeared, which passed after 30 minutes. The author speculated this might be due to the placebo effect or a lack of nutrients. Distraction with rest and snacks was also noted.

Day 2: No headache, the author felt well-rested. Dreams remained normal. For better absorption of fat-soluble erinacines and hericenones, the author consumed Lion's Mane with three chicken eggs, vitamin D3, and fish oil. Half an hour after consumption, a mild headache reappeared, which the author attributed to changes in blood flow. A subjective improvement in concentration was noted.

Day 3: No headache appeared for an hour after taking Lion's Mane. The author noted a strange sensation, as if the head had recently ached and then recovered.

Day 4: While playing billiards, the author performed better than usual, which he hypothesized as a possible effect of Lion's Mane on spatial reasoning and motor skills.

Day 5: Noted easier waking up without excuses, increased concentration at work. Appetite decreased; the author ate only eggs for breakfast and nothing else until the evening, which is uncharacteristic for him.

Day 6: Woke up 10 minutes before the alarm. The day was mostly dedicated to rest, but in the evening, the author was able to solve a complex work task.

Day 7: Subjective feeling of increased concentration and work capacity. It is noted that the headache at the beginning of consumption was likely related to Lion's Mane, indicating some effect.

Journal of Sensations: Subsequent Weeks

Day 8: The author read about a water-based lion's mane tincture but considered it less effective due to the fat-solubility of the active compounds. On this day, the author noted record productivity over the past two weeks while drawing prints for t-shirts.

Day 10: The author noticed a decline in chess performance. Previously, they could defeat a bot rated 1800 within 10 attempts, but now they couldn't defeat a bot rated 1600 in 20 attempts.

Day 11: Increased perseverance and reduced distractibility were noted.

Day 14: 8 hours of productive work were recorded, a significant increase compared to the usual 4-6 hours.

Third Week: The author observed a substantial increase in the number of dreams, which they believe might be linked to heightened neuroplasticity.

Fourth Week: The author launched a new project, indicating increased motivation. A decline in chess performance was also noted again. Towards the end of the month, a hypothesis emerged that this might be related to discontinuing creatine intake. After resuming creatine, the author was able to defeat a bot rated 2000.

Experiment Results (30 Days)

Objective Measurements After the Course

Reaction Speed:

• Without Caffeine (After 30 Days): 277 ms (improvement of 30 ms compared to the initial measurement).
• With Caffeine (After 30 Days): 246 ms (improvement of 48 ms compared to the initial measurement with caffeine).

The author compares these results with the effects of caffeine, noting that Lion's Mane showed a more significant improvement in reaction speed, comparable to the effect of caffeine, but without its side effects.

Typing Speed:

• Russian Layout: Improvement of 20-34 characters per minute.
• English Layout: Improvement was also noted, with the exception of one measurement, which the author attributes to possible external factors (sleep, time of day).

Stroop Test:

• Part 1 (Color Choice): The result practically did not change (13.3 before, 13.15 after).
• Part 2 (Identifying the Color of a Rectangle): Significant improvement (24.8 before, 19.05 after).
• Part 3 (Choosing the Color of a Word): Significant improvement (20.3 before, 16.75 after).

Memory Test:

• Forward Recall: Before intake – 10 digits, after intake – 9 digits.
• Backward Recall: Before intake – 10 digits, after intake – 12-13 digits.

The author suggests that short-term memory did not show significant improvement due to an already high baseline level.

Productivity

The author calculated that during the period of taking Lion's Mane, his working time increased by approximately 20-40% without a loss in quality. He notes that this increase could have been partially due to the very fact of tracking results.

Выводы

Эксперимент показал, что ежовик гребенчатый оказал положительное влияние на некоторые когнитивные функции, в частности, на скорость реакции и способность к концентрации. Субъективные ощущения автора также указывают на повышение работоспособности и мотивации. Однако, результаты тестов на память и скорость печати неоднозначны. Автор подчеркивает, что выводы каждый должен делать самостоятельно, и отмечает отсутствие негативных эффектов от прекращения приема ежовика.