Go back to the homepage and scroll down to "Stories from inside Scientology". There is a ton of info from people who have posted their stories there.
Go on Youtube....a lot of Scientologists have posted videos of their experiences there.
Decline in membership?
People find out that what they thought Scientology was about and what they thought they might achieve with it just isn't so. L Ron Hubbard was a big fat liar. So they leave.
They are abused financially or physically or spiritually or mentally, or all of these .... so they leave....some escape.....some write books about it.....some go on TV shows and talk about it.....people watch the shows and know to stay away from it.
People run out of money and can't continue with it, so they walk away. If one doesn't have $500.000.00 to spend on their Bridge to Total Freedom, they will never make it to the top to find out that it was just a scam anyway.
Now that we have the internet, people who leave, post on line about their experiences. People who have never been in Scientology read those posts and avoid ever getting involved. The Church of Scientology can't attract new members when the truth is being put out on the net. So, they lose old members and can't get new members, no matter how much money they spend on dissemination, so the membership declines. There is no deep dark secret as to why people leave and why the membership is declining.
The breaking point is where people have had enough shit from this organization and the people in it, and decide it's time to leave, so they go. No mystery there.
What attracts people is different for different people. I know one fellow who was attracted because he thought he could become superhuman and make lots of money. I was attracted because what was promoted to me was everything positive.....a world with out illness, insanity or war, where an able being could prosper and have a wonderful life.....I thought this was a super great goal for myself and for planet earth and the people who live here....that was back in 1973, before the internet.
You can read my story from beginning to end if you click on the link below.....MY STORY INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY
Good Luck with your thesis....