It started with a woman named Amy Carlson. Most people know her now as a mummified body found wrapped in a sleeping bag, decorated with Christmas lights, and missing its eyes. But before that gruesome end in a Colorado house, Love Has Won the cult of Mother God was a digital-age phenomenon that redefined how we think about high-control groups in the era of social media. This wasn't a group hiding in a remote compound in the woods. They were on YouTube. Every single day.
They livestreamed their dinner. They livestreamed their chores. They even livestreamed their abuse.
Amy Carlson wasn't always "Mother God." She was a manager at a McDonald’s in Texas. She had children. She had a life that looked, from the outside, entirely unremarkable. Then, around 2006, she walked away from it all. She became convinced she was a divine being, the 534th incarnation of a primeval creator, tasked with saving a planet she believed was being run by a "Cabal" of reptilian elites. Honestly, it sounds like a bad sci-fi plot. But for dozens of followers who funneled their life savings into her bank account, it was the only truth that mattered.
The Digital Architecture of Love Has Won
The group functioned less like a traditional church and more like a 24/7 reality show fueled by sleep deprivation and colloidal silver. While many cults from the 70s or 80s relied on physical isolation, Carlson and her "Father Gods"—a rotating door of men who occupied the primary male role—used the internet to create a psychological bubble. You didn’t have to move to Crestone, Colorado, to be a part of it. You just had to watch the livestreams.
Followers were told they were "Galactic Team Members." They were promised a "5D" existence, a higher vibrational state where suffering didn't exist. The irony is staggering. While preaching 5D ascension, the actual physical reality for those living with Carlson was one of grueling labor and constant screaming matches.
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The group's income didn't just come from donations. They sold "ascension tools." We're talking about things like supplements and holistic "cures" that weren't just ineffective; they were dangerous. One of the most prominent items was colloidal silver. Carlson drank it constantly. By the end of her life, her skin had literally turned a ghostly, metallic blue-grey. It’s a condition called argyria. It’s permanent.
Why Did People Join?
It’s easy to look at a woman with blue skin claiming to be the daughter of Donald Trump (yes, that was one of her claims) and think, "I'd never fall for that." But that's not how recruitment works.
Most people who joined Love Has Won the cult of Mother God were looking for a way out of a world they felt was broken. They were disillusioned with modern medicine, exhausted by the grind of capitalism, or struggling with deep-seated trauma. The group offered a community. It offered a sense of cosmic importance. If the world is ending, being on the "winning team" feels pretty good.
Expert cult researchers like Steven Hassan, author of The Cult of Cosmic Confidence, often point out that these groups use "love bombing" to reel people in. You’re told you’re special. You’re told you’re a lightworker. Then, slowly, the demands start. You stop sleeping. You stop eating enough. You start believing that your biological family is "3D" and "low vibration."
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The Downward Spiral and the "Father Gods"
The leadership structure was chaotic. Jason Castillo, the final "Father God," is often cited by former members as a particularly volatile influence. During the HBO documentary Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God, viewers saw footage of him berating Carlson while she was clearly dying.
Carlson's health declined rapidly between 2020 and 2021. She couldn't walk. She was emaciated. She was clearly in agony. Yet, her followers didn't take her to a hospital. Why? Because to them, she was God. God doesn't need a doctor. They believed she was "taking on the pain of the world." They thought her physical decay was a spiritual sacrifice.
When she finally died in April 2021, the group didn't call the police. They drove her body across state lines. They set up a shrine. They waited for her to "ascend" to a starship.
Life After Mother God: The Aftermath
When the Saguache County Sheriff's Office finally raided the house, they found a scene that looked like a horror movie. Seven members were arrested, originally charged with tampering with a deceased human body and child abuse (there were children in the home). Surprisingly, those charges were later dropped or dismissed.
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The group didn't just disappear after Carlson died.
Cults rarely do. They fragment. A faction called 5D Full Disclosure emerged, led by some of Carlson's top lieutenants. They kept the livestreams going. They kept selling the supplements. They claimed Carlson hadn't "died" in the human sense but had simply moved to the next phase of the mission. It’s a classic move in cult history. When the prophecy fails or the leader dies, the group either collapses or doubles down on a new interpretation of the events.
Red Flags to Watch For
If you’re worried about a friend or family member who seems to be falling down a similar rabbit hole, look for these specific markers. It's rarely about the theology. It's about the behavior.
- Financial Drain: Is the person suddenly sending "donations" to a group that claims to be non-profit but lacks any transparency?
- Sleep Deprivation: Many of these groups keep members on "watches" or require them to be awake for livestreams at all hours. A tired brain is a compliant brain.
- The Us vs. Them Narrative: If they start calling family members "lost" or "dark souls," that's a massive warning sign.
- Health Neglect: If a group tells you to swap life-saving medication for "vibrational water" or silver, get out.
The story of Love Has Won the cult of Mother God isn't just a weird piece of internet trivia. It’s a cautionary tale about the power of digital echo chambers. Amy Carlson was a human being who needed help, surrounded by people who were too deep in a shared delusion to give it to her.
Taking Action: Protecting Yourself and Others
Knowledge is the only real defense against high-control groups. If you're looking to dive deeper or need help extracting someone from a similar situation, these are the steps you should take:
- Consult the BITE Model: Research Steven Hassan's BITE model of Authoritarian Control. It breaks down how groups control Behavior, Information, Thoughts, and Emotions.
- Monitor Online Content: If a loved one is spending 6+ hours a day on "ascension" YouTube channels or Telegram groups, start a gentle, non-confrontational conversation about their sources.
- Support Groups: Reach out to organizations like the Cult Awareness Network or Families Against Cult Teachings (FACT). They provide actual resources for families, not just theories.
- Preserve the Connection: The goal of a cult is to sever the member's ties to the outside world. Don't play into their hands by cutting the person off. Stay a "safe harbor" for when the cracks in the group's logic eventually start to show.
The "Mother God" saga ended in a sleeping bag in a small Colorado town, but the digital landscape that created it is still very much alive. Stay skeptical.