Love Has Won: How did Amy Carlson die?

Episode 3 of the documentary series Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God is just around the corner – here’s what you need to know about how the group’s leader, Amy Carlson, died. 

There are an increasing number of documentaries about cults and their nefarious leaders, many of which focus on recent or ongoing groups and their actions – from The Vow, about the NXIVM sex cult, to Escaping Twin Flames, centering on the Twin Flames Universe. 

By asking “why” rather than “what,” perhaps viewers can gain insight into the current state of affairs. Society has shifted, social media has overtaken our lives, and economic inequality has reached new heights. Ultimately, many of those who join these groups are seeking purpose. 

It’s this vulnerability that allows cult leaders to manipulate and control their followers. And this is exactly what Love Has Won founder Amy Carlson, named Mother God, is accused of doing. But, ultimately, it’s also the reason for her downfall. Warning: Some may find this content distressing.

Love Has Won: How did Amy Carlson die?

Although a number of her Love Has Won followers maintain that Amy Carlson passed over into the mystical “5th dimension,” according to the Saguache County coroner, she died from alcoholism, anorexia, and chronic colloidal silver ingestion.

After police received a tip-off, authorities visited Love Has Won’s Colorado base, where they found Carlson’s mummified body in a state of decomposition. Her eyeballs had been removed, she’d been wrapped in a sleeping bag, and she was covered in Christmas lights.

As is widely reported, and can be seen from her later live streams and video uploads, Carlson’s skin turned a greyish-blue color before her death as a result of colloidal silver ingestion, which consists of tiny silver particles in a liquid. 

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Although it’s sometimes promoted online as a dietary supplement, there is currently no official evidence backing these claims. Vanity Fair reports: “Though actual science has found no benefit to the oral ingestion of silver, Carlson said it could cure almost anything.”

In HBO’s new documentary series Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God, one of her followers claims: “The pharmaceutical industry banned it [colloidal silver] because healed people don’t make money.”

Vanity Fair adds: “As their leader devolved into alcoholism (Carlson believed alcohol and drugs were her ‘medicine’), Carlson’s disciples served her more and more shots of silver. Meanwhile, she lost weight. Carlson suffered from anorexia, a disease characterized by a strong desire for control and often associated with anxiety disorders.”

A diary entry shared in the series by one of her followers states, “Robin [Williams] says 103.1 is maximum weight Mom can get to,” with the group believing this would allow them to ascend to the fifth dimension. The autopsy report reveals Carlson was just 75 pounds when her body was discovered. 

Although several of the Love Has Won followers were taken into police custody after Carlson’s body was found, the charges of abusing a corpse were later dropped. 

What is Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God about?

Directed by Hannah Olson, Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God from HBO is a three-part documentary series delving into the Love Has Won cult and the life and death of their Mother God, aka Amy Carlson.

Check out the trailer below: 

As per the official synopsis: “Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God chronicles the life and death of Amy Carlson, also known as Mother God, a self-proclaimed spiritual savior who built a cult through her online manifestos and live-streaming sessions. 

“As Amy’s health declined, her followers believed her death would lead to her evacuation by UFO and salvation for humanity. Told through the eyes of Amy’s devotees and constructed from the cult’s archival footage, the three-part docuseries captures the perils of internet proselytizing and a conspiracy-driven faith.”

Love Has Won Episodes 1-2 are available for streaming on Max now, which you can sign up for here, while Episode 3 premieres on November 27. You can read more of our documentaries coverage below:

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