I've been taking Lion's Mane dual extraction for over 2 years now. It took me a little while to get into the habit of taking the extract, because well, memory. And forming a habit takes time. After a few weeks, I finally was consistently taking 1 dropperful 2 times a day. And I'm not turning back!
Here's what I noticed almost immediately:

1. I started having very vivid dreams and was able to recall them better in the morning. I love dreaming and my dreams are often vivid, sometimes lucid. But I don't always remember them or even know I had any. There are a lot of things that can effect dreaming, like quality of sleep, time of year, phase of the moon, what's going on in your head, like stress. Lion's mane has an effect on your quality of sleep, therefore increasing your ability to dream and recall them. It has to do with the contribution Lion's Mane has to the generation of REM sleep. You can read more on sleep disturbance here.
2. I found better focus. My thoughts were a bit clearer, and I wasn't as much of a scatterbrain. There's still a bit of scatterbrain in me. I like to do a lot of things and I manage a lot of pieces. I'm getting better at narrowing that down and not multitasking so much. That might be due to the Lion's Mane or just maturing into a real adult. Haha! It's probably the Lion's Mane!
3.  I have less anxiety. My thought is that a lot of my anxiety is due to trying to do too many things at once and not having any focus. Like a chicken with its head cut off! The more focus, the less anxiety, the better the sleep, the better the brain works, the clearer the thinking, the better focus… Do you see the cycle?
4. My memory improved. Sure, I still walk into a room and wonder "Why am I here?" But it happens a lot less now! I am hopeless when it comes to remembering names and faces. I've gotten better and the anxiety around it is lessened, but there's still a ways to go. To my credit, I do see a lot of people each day, some more often than others, some a few times a year. Can I really be expected to remember them all??

And here's what I noticed over time:

1. My immune system seems stronger. I've barely had a cold in the past few years. I say barely because if I did have a cold, it was so minor and only lasted a few days, never causing loss of sleep or any lasting issues; minor cough and sniffles, no medication needed. I can't attribute this to Lion's Mane alone. I'm sure my immune system benefits from some other mushrooms and herbs I take as well. I listen to my body and rest when needed. I get outside and exercise daily. I don't have kids, and I don't work in an office or commute in a busy city.

After a few months of taking it, I decided to stop and see how that went. After about a month off, I realized how much I missed it! I hadn't exactly noticed the slow change, but I was back to my scatterbrained ways, which led to a bit of anxiety and messy work. I got back on it and quickly felt better, more put together.
Currently I am taking 1 dropperful an hour or so after waking up, and another before bed. This is a simple maintenance plan for me. It's what works for me. Some people take 2 droppers once a day, others take it in the afternoon. You do you. I like to take a break every once in a while. Once or twice a year I'll stop taking Lion's Mane for a few weeks to a month. It helps the body reset, and you get to realize how much it's helping!
What my customers have noticed*:

1. Offered some relief from nerve issues and or tingling related to Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes, surgeries and accidents.
2. Improved brain fog associated with Lyme Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and menopause.
3. Aided in recovery after brain surgery, Stroke, concussion.
4. Helps with Parkinson's. The feedback I have here involves a diverse protocol of many mushrooms, herbs and some pharmaceuticals. I'm always excited to hear more about what this person is doing, and I hope to continue learning more!
5. Improves gut health. I don't have much information on this. I feel like a tea made from the powder could be very useful for gut health to add fiber and help the good gut bacteria.
6. Some did not notice any difference. Every body is different and it may just not be the right match. Or effects can be subtle, and you may not notice them until you stop taking it and things return to how they were.  Some herbs or supplements I don't feel effects from either, but I take them as a long-term preventative in hopes that it'll lessen my chances of some disease or deficiency or degeneration or a slow horrible death.

*None of this info is intended to diagnose or treat any disease. None of this info involves a scientific research study, simply my findings and feedback from customers sharing what they've felt.
Here are some other things my resource say it can help with. I don't have feedback on these things, so I can't personally go deeper.

• "Beta glucans and other cell wall polymers have a soothing and beneficial effect on gastritis and ulcers and can offer protective benefits for liver health."
• Nerve Support and repair
• Mood regulating
• Memory/cognitive function
• Counteracting gastritis
• Antibiotic
• Anticarcinogenic
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Blood sugar regulating
• Blood pressure lowering
• Antidiabetic
• Counteracts fatigue
• Cholesterol regulating
• Neuroprotective
• Improvement of anxiety, cognitive function, depression
• Neuro-regenerative in animals and cell line studies
• Some clinical studies find LM protects against stroke, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's disease, depression, neuropathic pain (as in diabetes), early dementia, nerve damage, gastritis, gastric ulcer repair
• Menopausal study-reduced anxiety, depression, palpitations, frustration and irritability, improved quality of sleep, and concentration, hot flashes
• Damage from neuromuscular or injury-induced nerve damage may benefit from the growth of new neurites and myelin sheath health
• Neurogenesis

All of my feedback is on the dual extract that I make in house. The research out there is based off of various extraction methods. I find that continued regular dosage is the most effective. Dual extracts make that easy. You could make a tea from the powder, drinking it twice a day regularly. This may be the best option for digestive issues. Or you could eat it, but you'd want to incorporate it into 2 meals a day every day. That's a lot of mushroom! There are capsules all over the internet. I'm not a huge fan of capsules, especially when it comes to herbs and mushrooms. It's hard to know if you're properly digesting them and I feel you're missing out when you don't get to taste what you're ingesting. Taste helps send messages to the body and trigger the appropriate response in the system. Please do your own research from trusted sources and consult with a doctor or other professional before jumping in.

*Tips
If, like me, you forget to thaw the spinach, simply cook it in a steamer. 
One of our mixed bowls can also be a great option! Add 1# for a more mushroomy version.
Chestnuts and pioppino add a nice nutty flavor and crunch. Oysters and others will add more of an umami meatiness.
You can also use shallot and or onion in place of or in addition to garlic

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Preparation​

1. Prepare rice as directed, if using rice.
2. Slice meat if using, and brown in pan with some oil, salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Sautee mushrooms in pan over high heat with a little broth, until they release liquid, then add oil. (I went heavy, like 1/4 cup) Cook until slightly browned.
4. Add carrots and onions, sautee until slightly tender. 
   
5. Add garlic, ginger and hot peppers, stirring until fragrant.
   
6. Lower heat. Add broth and lime leaves, deglaze the pan.
   
7. Add any additional herbs and browned meat and bring to a simmer.
   
8. While this is simmering, prepare rice noodles if using them.
   
9. Toss in greens, cover and let sit on low heat until greens wilt.
   
10. Add coconut milk, and other optional ingredients such as soy sauce, sriracha, etc.
    
11. Remove citrus leaves or lemongrass.
    
12. Toss noodles or rice in and incorporate into sauce. You can also just serve it over the rice or noodles.
    
13. Garnish with chopped cilantro and scallions.

TipsBruise the citrus leaves with the back of the knife.
I’ve also done this without the rice, because I forgot. It made for a nice stew.

Tips
Make the pickled onions ahead of time. Thinly sliced carrots, pineapple or mango could also be added.
Feel free to add some other herbs to the onions.
Other garnish ideas:
Cilantro avocado mayo or sour cream
Avocado
Cotija cheese
Fresh squeezed lime

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It's a question I get often at the store and markets. Some raw mushrooms might be ok for you, but some might not be ok for your neighbor, some raw mushrooms might make you sick, some might really hurt you or worse. 
Most people have lived their entire life eating those white button mushrooms raw on a salad or with dip. Most people have had no problem from doing so. I'm included. I've also eaten some other mushrooms raw, just to taste it and see what it was like. Never a problem there either. I love some aspects of a raw food diet. Some. It just doesn't work for everything all the time. Here are some reasons why you might want to think twice about eating raw mushrooms. 
1. Cooking helps to eliminate germs.
Have you ever watched how people behave in the supermarket? All those fingers touching, squeezing, holding the produce to inspect it. Do you think they just washed their hands? Sure, some of the mushrooms are pre-packaged. But someone had to touch them at some point. I know, I sound like a germaphobe. I'm not. Coming in contact with germs is how you build a stronger immune system. Some vegetables, or fungi are not easy to clean. Have you ever tried to scrub every nook and cranny of broccoli or lion's mane mushroom? It's not easy. Ok, I've never bothered. Raw broccoli contains all sorts of vitamins that are beneficial to your immune system helping you to fight germs. Cooking will also help to eliminate these germs, but might also eliminate some of those vitamins. Eating raw lion's mane, or any other mushroom for that matter will not do anything for your immune system because of chitin.

2. Cooking breaks down chitin.
What is chitin you ask? Chitin is a fibrous substance consisting of polysaccharides (sugar) and forming the major constituent in the exo-skeleton of arthropods and the cell walls of fungi. It is similar to keratin which is the protein that helps form your hair and nails. Both are polymers whose function is to protect the soft tissues inside of cells. Chitin is beneficial and a great source of fiber, prebiotics and antioxidants. The problem is, humans do not have the ability to break down chitin. So, if we can't break down chitin, how can we get to all the goodies inside the cells that the chitin is trying to protect? Well, in the case of mushrooms, it can be broken down by adding heat, or cooking them.
3. Cooking helps bring out the flavor of mushrooms.
Now that the chitin is broken down, the vitamins, and other stuffs that make up mushrooms are able to be released. Some of those stuffs are flavor compounds. I've found that the texture improves too. The raw mushrooms I've eaten tend to be fibrous, leaving things stuck all over your teeth and throat. Can you overcook mushrooms? And won't the nutrients get cooked off? It's hard to overcook mushrooms, unless of course you burn them. Sometimes they can become tough when cooked too long, but your eyes will probably tell you their done before that point. Vitamin C is the only nutrient that will be cooked off. Just go eat an orange, you'll be ok.
4. Wild mushrooms.
When it comes to wild foraged mushrooms, there are many reasons to cook them. These mushrooms were out in the wild, with all kinds of other wild things. Wild things that have a different idea of cleanliness and life. Bladder control and the idea of not shitting where you eat is not a priority. See above, #1... ​