Bizarre 'Scientology run' challenge explained as 'raid' trend sees teens storm church's buildings

So-called ‘Scientology Runs’ are apparently being attempted by American teenagers known as ‘raiders’, with mass social media clout being the endgame.

The Church of Scientology, founded by American author L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, describes itself as ‘religion in its highest meaning’, alleging its goal is to help bring its followers ‘to total freedom and truth’.

The clandestine corporation, spearheaded by ecclesiastical leader David Miscavige, has a myriad of Hollywood devotees, with some of the most famous being Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Elizabeth Moss, and Erika Christensen.

Other notable figures associated with the church include voice actress and Sabrina Carpenter’s aunt, Nancy Cartwright, Ant-Man’s Michael Peña, and Katie Holmes, who left after divorcing Cruise in 2012.

While the religion may not touch your life very often, anyone who flicks through their TikTok For You Page for long enough may eventually come across a bizarre trend of young people running headfirst through Scientology centers.

Tom Cruise is perhaps the most famous Scientologist (Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)

Though few and far between, these viral clips all seem to share a similar formula.

The content creators enter the building at top speed, weaving out of the way of security officials and front desk members before ploughing deep into the establishment’s bowels.

The idea seems to be to complete the ‘deepest recorded run’ and get as far as possible before eventually getting pulled up and banished from the premises.

The trend, known plainly online as a ‘Scientology Run’, is apparently an engagement goldmine, with some ‘raiders’ absolutely raking in the numbers.

For example, one user, known as @swhileyy, has pulled in four million views on one of his Scientology-run videos.

And what is the point of completing these church-based challenges? Well, social media cred of course.

One 55-second video, re-shared to X, has amassed almost 18 million views, with thousands of users weighing in.

One user who appeared less-than-impressed by the Scientology Run wrote: “Ok, now try the Vatican or the the Kaaba, let me know how that works out for you. Either way your trespassing on someone else's private property.. and that's not cool, regardless of beliefs.”

Another said: “Is this a thing people do? Are there more videos? Where do I join up?”

People are filming themselves 'raiding' Scientology churches (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

“When you make it to the top floor of the Scientology building and you see a healthbar pop up with Tom Cruise’s name on it,” joked a third user.

Someone else commented: “I’ll never understand why they put themselves in danger by trying to stop them, like just let them run around and call security or the cops if its such a big deal but dont endanger your life because you never know what could happen.”

Last month, experts issued a grave warning regarding another social media trend.

Experts from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust cautioned people to stop consulting Google, YouTube, and Facebook for advice on mental health and neurodivergence.

Dr Alice Carter, from UEA, said: “When we looked closely at TikTok content, studies reported that 52 percent of ADHD-related videos and 41 percent of autism videos analyzed were inaccurate.

“By contrast, YouTube averaged 22 percent misinformation while Facebook averaged just under 15 percent.”

Meanwhile, Dr Eleanor Chatburn from UEA’s Norwich Medical School said that while social media can be a useful tool, it can result in young people believing they have mental disorders without being diagnosed or seen by a professional.

In a statement TikTok told UNILAD that it actively removes ‘harmful health misinformation’ and provides ‘access to reliable information from the WHO, so that our community can express themselves about what matters to them and find support’.