[imagesource: Love Has Won]

There are eight simple ways to identify a cult.

The leader tends to oppose critical thinking, isolates members and/or penalises them for leaving, focuses the cult around a core group but often has outside followers, emphasises special doctrines outside of scripture, seeks inappropriate loyalty from members, dishonours the family unit, and uses ‘spirituality’ to justify certain sexual or physical behaviours.

‘Love Has Won’ (LHW) ticks all of those boxes.

In the first episode of a new VICE series, False Gods, host Josh Osborne takes a closer look at the cult, started by a 44-year-old woman named Amy Carlson (above), who insists on being referred to as “Mother God” or “Mom” at all times.

To join, her obsessed devotees are required to leave their old lives behind, live in a house in Colorado with her, and dedicate their time to bringing in money and seeing to her every need.

The cult recruits through daily live streams that encourage viewers (followers from outside of the inner circle) to donate, offering those who do an alternative reality. She also claims that she can improve the health conditions of vulnerable people, like those living with cancer, by just talking to them on the phone.

Cult members believe that Carlson is a divine being living through her 534th reincarnation. She has apparently been trying to save humanity for 19 billion years and will soon lead 144 000 chosen ones into a new mystical dimension.

“She didn’t have the ego programming like we do,” Hope, an official spokesperson for LHW, told VICE in the documentary.

“Mom was just in full consciousness for her whole life.” She added: “That’s why she is the example, because we are not at that consciousness level. Nowhere near.”

Cool cool cool.

Let’s hear from someone who escaped the madness.

Taylor, a former LHW member, recalls her time in the group. “It’s a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of mental manipulation, a lot of brainwash,” she claims.

“She [Carlson] only let us sleep for four hours, we have to wake up every day at 5AM, we start the live stream at 6[AM].”

The accusations of abuse are wild, including Carlson getting drunk and angry (despite not allowing members to drink or take drugs), placing a screaming child into a cupboard, and hurting a cat.

There’s a ‘Father God’ in the mix as well now. Look out for him in the documentary screaming incoherent gibberish from a barstool.

You can watch it in full here:

Even if you believe this rubbish, I’d have a tough time getting behind someone who’s had 19 billion years to complete a task and still hasn’t finished it.

That’s a master procrastinator, right there.

[source:vice]