The Telepathy Tapes – PREVIEW: Ask Me Anything with Paul Stamets

Host: Ky Dickens
Guest: Paul Stamets (mycologist, expert on Mycorrhizal networks and psilocybin mushrooms)
Date: December 5, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special preview Ask Me Anything episode of The Telepathy Tapes, host Ky Dickens welcomes renowned mycologist Paul Stamets to answer listener-submitted questions about mushrooms, the mycelial network, supplements, and their effects on human consciousness and wellbeing. Stamets shares his scientific expertise and personal perspective, stressing the importance of quality and transparency in mushroom supplements while speculating on what he’d ask mushrooms if he could communicate with them telepathically.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Introduction to the AMA with Paul Stamets

[01:59]

• Ky Dickens expresses gratitude for Backstage Pass subscribers and introduces Paul Stamets, highlighting his expertise and prior appearances in episodes six and seven.
• Stamets explains his background: mycologist, author of eight books, and host of a leading mushroom supplement company.

1. Supplement Quality and Lion’s Mane: Answering a Listener’s Anxiety Concern

[02:22]
Listener question:
"I've read so many good things about lion's mane mushrooms for anxiety. But there's a subset of people for whom anxiety worsened after starting lion's mane supplements. Is there a way to know in advance?"

Paul Stamets’ Response:

• Disclaimer:
  "Full disclosure, I'm a mycologist. I'm not a medical doctor. This is really important. I do not make medical recommendations."
  (Paul, 02:23)

• All Mushroom Supplements Are Not the Same

  • Notes the misconception: "There's, frankly, a false narrative of fruit body only extracts are beneficial to you. That's not true. It's the mycelium." (Paul, 02:54)
  • References recent research: Chinese hot water fruit body extracts (i.e., mushroom parts) may cause "a cascade of inflammation."
  • "When you are stressed, you get more stressed. If you have a cold or a virus ... this cascade of the cytokine storm ... you get sicker. This is not known to 99% of the people out there."

• The Importance of Mycelium

  • "It's the mycelium that buffers the immune system so it's not overexpressed as a matter of public safety." (Paul, 03:46)
  • Emphasizes that the mycelium, which is the living body of the fungus, expresses more genes and produces a wider variety of compounds compared to the fruiting body (mushroom).
  • "The mycelium is the immune system of the mushroom. It exists for years. Mushrooms come up and rot in a few days." (Paul, 05:11)

• Quality and Transparency in Supplements

  • Stamets issues a warning on the supplement industry: "People... create a little mail order business, they buy supplements, they just want to exploit the popularity of mushrooms. Unfortunately they're way out of their depth." (Paul, 04:34)
  • "All mushroom supplements are not the same ... people buying on the spot market, they try to maximize profits by buying the cheapest product. The cheapest product is not the best for you." (Paul, 05:00)

• Advice for Listeners

  • "Frankly, ours are grown in the United States, certified organic, CGMP compliant, inspected frequently for quality. We know what we're doing. Do you know what other people are doing? No. It's opaque. It's not transparent." (Paul, 05:10)
  • On supplement choice: "I would never give a fruit body extract without the mycelium being part of it."

• Possible Mechanism for Worsened Anxiety

  • Links anxiety or depression from lion’s mane to inflammation: "Increased anxiety and depression can be a consequence of inflammation." (Paul, 06:00)
  • "Please folks, take mycelium-based products. Read the science on this ... So many people have been misled."

2. Telepathic Communication with Mushrooms

[06:26]
Listener question:
"If he had the ability like Nina, what would be the first three questions he would ask mushrooms and which mushrooms would he ask first?"

Paul Stamets’ Response:

• Expresses enthusiasm and acknowledges the creativity of the question.
• Begins to reflect on what he would ask mushrooms but is cut off before giving specific questions due to the preview ending.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the mushroom supplement industry:
  “Unfortunately they're way out of their depth and this is a real concern. We all should have. All mushroom supplements are not the same.”
  (Paul Stamets, 04:34)

• On the unique power of mycelium:
  “The mycelium is the immune system of the mushroom. It exists for years. Mushrooms come up and rot in a few days.”
  (Paul Stamets, 05:11)

• On misinforming the public:
  “So many people have been misled. There's no other way of characterizing this except they've been misled.”
  (Paul Stamets, 06:06)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:59 – Ky Dickens introduces Paul Stamets and outlines the nature of the AMA episode.
• 02:22–06:24 – Paul Stamets answers the lion’s mane anxiety question, discussing supplement quality, scientific findings, and the difference between mycelium and fruiting body extracts.
• 06:26 – Stamets receives and begins responding to the telepathy-themed listener question, preview ends.

Tone and Language

Stamets remains approachable yet authoritative, emphasizing his expertise, care for scientific accuracy, and concern for public safety—particularly regarding misinformation in the mushroom supplement industry. There is a passionate, slightly urgent edge when discussing common misconceptions.

Summary

This preview episode from The Telepathy Tapes offers a rich glimpse into the complexities of mushroom supplements as explained by Paul Stamets—one of the world’s most recognizable mycologists. He unpacks why some people might experience increased anxiety with lion's mane, underscoring the importance of mycelium in supplements and warning listeners of misleading marketing in the industry. The preview concludes with a playful, imaginative question about what Stamets would ask mushrooms if he could commune telepathically—mirroring the show’s broader philosophical themes about consciousness and the unknown.

To hear the full Ask Me Anything, listeners are directed to subscribe to the podcast’s Backstage Pass.