Love Has Won, the Crestone spiritual group, is the subject of a new three-part documentary series from HBO. “Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God” released its first episode on Nov. 13 and will release the final two episodes on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27. The documentary highlights the group, its people, and the life of its leader.
The group worshiped Amy Carlson, also known as “Mother God.” Through hundreds of hours of Love Has Won’s livestream footage, interviews with members, family of Carlson, and even locals, the documentary aims to show Carlson’s path to becoming Mother God and the spiritual indoctrination of her followers.
Carlson was found dead in one of the group’s homes in Crestone on April 29, 2021. She was found mummified, wrapped in a sleeping bag, which was wrapped in Christmas lights. It appeared to be a shrine. The El Paso County coroner determined that her death was caused by a combination of anorexia, alcohol abuse, and colloidal silver ingestion. She was 45.
Love Has Won was (and still is for some people in the documentary) a new-age religious movement that wholly combines Abrahamic teachings, conspiracy theories, and spiritualism that aimed to guide people away from “the cabal” and prepare for the “great awakening.” Carlson claimed she was God and was reincarnated throughout time as various historic figures such as Marilyn Monroe and Joan of Arc, and that she would set the world free.
The group had daily livestreams where members sold various items and advertised spiritual sessions that would clear a person’s soul from negativity through “spiritual intuitive ascension sessions.” Carlson also claimed that colloidal silver was the cure to COVID-19.
But former members of the cult alleged that Carlson and “Father God” Jason Castillo were abusive. New members were sleep-deprived and had food withheld from them for weeks on end.
In 2020, the group traveled to Hawai’i to help Carlson treat her cancer, but were kicked out of the state over Carlson’s claims of being the one true goddess of the islands and volcanoes. Protests prompted the local police to escort the group to the airport in Kauai.
Officials believe Carlson died in California and her body was then transported to Colorado where she was eventually found by the Saguache County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Dan Warwick is an interview subject in the documentary.
A series of charges were filed against the members of the group who transported her body across state lines, but those charges were later dropped by former 12th Judicial District Attorney Alonzo Payne and former Deputy District Attorney Alex Raines.
The documentary was optioned by HBO in 2021. Most of the documentary was shot in the San Luis Valley.