Hordes of people break through the doors, running as far as they can, trying to record as much as possible. It’s called “Scientology Speedrunning,” and this new internet trend has loads of people running into Scientology buildings to try to document as much of the building as possible. While it’s definitely a form of trespassing, the trend has gained popularity due to its crazy nature, making many laugh. 

The trend began in march of 2026 when influencer Swhileyy, who as of May 2026, has been banned on multiple social media sites due to these stunts, published a video onto Instagram  where he could be seen running into a Scientology building in downtown LA. These stunts helped Swhileyy gain massive popularity, yet after this massive growth in popularity, he seemed to vanish off social media. Later in an interview with The Guardian, Swhileyy explicitly stated, “I do not condone what I did,” also stating, “I never once in any video or any comment section or anywhere promoted the idea of running through there.” Although Swhileyy has since stopped participating in his viral trend, many others have taken his place in even larger numbers, reaching up to 50 participants “speed-running” these buildings.

Some may wonder what the harm is caused by a few people running into a building , yet many video and picture accounts show mass damage being caused to buildings.The church has not yet responded with an exact dollar amount, but many estimated hundreds of dollars of damage from each raid.

The church has also issued statements about the disruptive nature of the trend, as their buildings are typically supposed to be silent spaces for parishioners to practice or to offer respectful public tours. The church called the speedrunning, “trespassing, harassment and disruption” in statements sent to several major news stations, including the Guardian and NBC. One building in the heart of Hollywood even removed its door handles to stop speedrunners.

Scientology has long been subject to intense speculation and scrutiny by the public majority. Many believe that Scientology has dark secrets hidden behind its face. It offers a completely different world perspective. The religion mentions Xenu, an alien leader from 75 million years ago, as well as the “Supreme Being,” a form of enlightenment which can be reached by humans by purging negative “engrams.” These engrams are a form of spiritual torment, often recognized by scientologists as past trauma. 

While the speedrunning trend has definitely attracted attention, not all is good, running through an area closed to public access and causing damage along the way is a good way to get in serious trouble. Regardless of the scrutiny surrounding the religion and the humour of the trend, disregarding private space should never be viewed as “funny content.”