On March 31, 2026 an 18-year-old TikToker going by the username Swhileyy was the first to post a video of himself attempting to sprint through the lobby of the Church of Scientology’s Hollywood headquarters in Los Angeles. His video went viral, 90 million views viral, and sparked a trend where groups of young adults attempt to penetrate the typically closed off areas of Scientology buildings.
Scientology speedruns are just one part of the many bizarre and evanescent cultural phenomenons that pop up on the internet from time to time. Often, these trends circulate around “pranks”, something that there is a large audience for. A similar trend that blew up last year was the Walmart screaming pranks. This short form content involved groups of friends who would spread out through a store causing chaos by screaming loudly, using airhorns, and other debauchery. These videos found success through their ridiculous nature and the reactions of workers and bystanders they captured. Another trend seen around the early 2020s was “Devious Licks” where participants went out of their way to steal impractical items from school, anything ranging from soap dispensers to entire toilets. These trends show up for a multitude of reasons, sometimes they are funny, sometimes they have ulterior motives, other times they are purely for shock factor.
The Speedruns and other content surrounding the Church of Scientology seem to have differing motives. While the Speedruns are mostly focused on the humour of running through Scientology centers and causing chaos, there is a subtle yet significant educational undertone to this trend. Some more serious accounts aim to reveal the unethical actions of the Church of Scientology.
One such user is Scientology Audit (Streets LA), a channel dedicated to bothering Scientology workers. His videos go further than the poorly thought out “Speedruns”, in some he pulls up photos of the Scientology recruiters before they joined and says “look how happy you were before all this”. He also prevents people from talking to the Scientology recruiters and will loudly warn pedestrians to not listen to them, calling the Church of Scientology a “cult”. He uses his videos to educate his audience on aspects of the Church of Scientology that the average person might not know.
The Church has faced severe allegations regarding human rights violations. Numerous former members have reported instances of forced labor, physical abuse, and unlawful detention. Some accounts even describe members being pressured into abortions to maintain their status within the organization. Furthermore, the Church is frequently criticized for its financial exploitation, often requiring followers to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to progress through its spiritual hierarchy. To protect its interests, the organization utilizes an expansive legal and investigative network often accused of harassing whistleblowers and critics.
Beyond these structural issues, Scientology’s core theology has also drawn public scrutiny. The doctrine centers on ‘thetans’, immortal souls trapped in human bodies, and the removal of ‘engrams,’ or traumatic memories from past lives. More controversial are the advanced teachings involving Xenu, an ancient galactic ruler whose actions 75 million years ago are cited by the Church as the root of modern spiritual trauma.
These trends can serve as more than just simple pranks: They create a platform for individuals to share personal experiences and criticisms regarding organizations like the church of Scientology. By using a humorous format to raise awareness, they allow the public to engage with serious issues in an accessible way.