It’s the stuff of memes. Everyone wants to talk and laugh about the strange presence of Scientology in the world. However, despite its supposed prevalence, which I find sufficient to make an instance for it (might/would explain some of the commotion and rumors going on) which is an inevitability, few people ever discuss knowing any Scientologists (often in the process of forgetting that, in the end, they’re just another group like any group, minus peculiarities). Do you have anyone in your life, be it a friend, family member, or someone in your community, who is one or thought to be one?
One of my aunts became one out of high school. She married some guy who was also into it, they had 2 kids. The whole family was basically shunned by the rest of us because of it, and she died in her 40s of a very rare form of cancer. I haven’t seen the kids in probably 30 years now.