Love Has Won (Amy Carlson)
Online new-age movement led by Amy Carlson ('Mother God'), who claimed to be the reincarnation of multiple historical and pop-cultural figures. Carlson died in 2021; members continued to display her mummified body. Subject of HBO's 'Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God' (2023).
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — heavily documented in HBO's 'Love Has Won' (2023); founder's mummified body discovered 2021.
Profile facts
In context
Love Has Won grew through 2010s livestreams of Amy Carlson teaching a syncretic mix of QAnon, Lemurian channeling, and personal divinity. The group adopted colloidal silver, leading to Carlson's skin turning blue. After her April 2021 death from alcohol abuse and self-administered colloidal silver, members preserved her body in their Colorado home, where police discovered it weeks later. The 2023 HBO docuseries documented the trajectory.
Key control doctrines
- Carlson as 'Mother God' incarnate
- Colloidal silver consumption
- QAnon-adjacent eschatology
Recovery resources
- ICSA Helpline — International Cultic Studies Association — questions about high-control groups, referrals to cult-aware therapists, peer support.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation — BITE Model assessments, exit-counselling resources, family education.
- ICSA Cult-Aware Therapist Directory — ICSA-maintained directory of licensed mental-health professionals with specific cult-recovery training.
- Combatting Cult Mind Control — Steven Hassan, 1988 (revised 2018). The foundational BITE Model book; CLCI Hub's core methodology source.
- Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships — Janja Lalich & Madeleine Tobias, 2006. Practical recovery workbook.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Legal cases & controversies
- 2021 discovery of Carlson's preserved body; no criminal charges
- Ongoing scrutiny of remaining members
Lifton's 8 criteria of thought reform
Robert Jay Lifton's 1961 framework, complementary to BITE. Criteria this group exhibits according to the cited sources.
- Mystical ManipulationEngineering experiences that appear spontaneous but are designed to demonstrate the group's higher purpose.
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 2007+Carlson begins online teaching
- 2018+QAnon themes increasingly absorbed
- 2021-04Carlson dies; body preserved by followers
- 2023HBO documentary releases
Sources
- HBO 'Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God' (2023) search ↗
- Various Vice and Daily Beast investigations search ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. The search ↗ link runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.