In a jaw-dropping HBO documentary released in November 2023, Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God, viewers were stunned by the story of Amy Carlson, a Kansas woman who became a cult leader known as ‘Mother God.’ The three-part series unravels her bizarre journey and the disturbing discovery of her mummified body.
The documentary highlights Love Has Won, a group labeled a cult by media and ex-members, which embraced wild conspiracy theories and believed Carlson was a divine reincarnation. By April 2021, her body was found wrapped in a sleeping bag in Creston, Colorado, where 12 to 20 core members resided.
Amy Carlson, born November 30, 1975, in McPherson, Kansas, grew up across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. A mother of three, she worked as a McDonald’s manager before diving into New Age spirituality in the mid-2000s, frequently engaging in online forums.
Her transformation began after meeting Amerith WhiteEagle, who convinced her she was a celestial being. By 2007, Carlson abandoned her job, third husband, and children to join WhiteEagle in Colorado, forming Love Has Won as ‘Mother God’ alongside his ‘Father God.’
The cult’s beliefs were a strange blend of New Age spirituality, conspiracy theories, and mainstream religions. Carlson claimed to be a reincarnated Jesus Christ, Joan of Arc, and other figures, promising followers healing through ‘the power of love.’
She preached that she was guided by ‘Galactics,’ including deceased celebrities like Steve Irwin and Robin Williams, as well as a living Donald Trump. The cult grew through online manifestos and live streams, gaining traction from 2014 onward.
Carlson’s health took a dark turn due to her reliance on alcohol and colloidal silver, an unsafe alternative medicine. Her extreme diet caused her skin to turn blue, a condition known as argyria, linked to silver consumption.
Despite her claims of divine power, Carlson’s followers believed her declining health was due to absorbing the world’s negative energy. Some even thought she’d ascend via UFO, saving humanity, but she died at age 45.
Her body, adorned with fairy lights and glitter, was found nearly two weeks after her death, treated like a shrine by followers who believed she’d reached a ‘fifth dimension.’ The grim discovery occurred in a Colorado home.
In her final days, Carlson lost motor control in Ashland, Oregon, before her body was moved across five states in an SUV to the cult’s mission home. The property owner, Lamboy, alerted Saguache County police, leading to the discovery.
An autopsy revealed Carlson’s death resulted from organ failure due to alcohol abuse, anorexia, and colloidal silver poisoning. She had lost over 50 pounds, with no evidence of the cancer she claimed to heal, marking a tragic end to her surreal saga.