A concept devised in Eastern command-structures during the middle-to-late Hungry Years to discuss their own cultures and the influence of the Strets. Factions that used Atlantics or other specialists procured by F5 often found themselves threatened with ideological schisms. Even though their Callers were hard at work to “immerse” the survivors in novel cultures, it had still been less than a decade since the Burnout. The fondness for Pre-Burnout culture expressed by immigrants from the Strets found its way into numerous designs and mannerisms in several clans during this period. Concerned leaders developed the idea of “Pre-Burnout Parallelism” to map this phenomena. When introduced to this concept during her monthly audience with her clan’s ruler, Latasha “Soul-Fisher” (a first-generation Caller), used it to articulate some of the inherent paradoxes with Callers. 

In her writings and seminars to other Callers, Soul-Fisher claimed that true Immersion was technically impossible. The goal of Immersion was to free survivors from the “cultural depravity of the Pre-Burnout and their trauma incurred during the Burnout through the genesis of radical new societal and spiritual traditions”. Per their training, these “new societal and spiritual traditions” were made as a Caller gained a deep understanding of a surviving community’s experiences, initial culture, and their leader’s plans for the future. The earliest of these “norms and traditions” were thus highly localized and shallow; they lacked the profundity of more established Pre-Burnout religions. In order to achieve Immersion, Callers needed to “cheat” by incorporating elements from existing myths, ceremonies, and religions into their creations. Callers drew heavily from antiquity and obscure fables to furnish their new cultures. A few were very open to their communities about relying on existing works. Soul-Fisher then stated that her interpretation of Immersion wasn’t the creation of new culture, but an intelligent and respectful distortion of various existing cultures.

Soul-Fisher said this was all acceptable and encouraged as these practices furthered the ultimate goal of the Callers and Verdance: Immersion for all survivors. She then shared her thoughts on PBP. Soul-Fisher noted that because of the aforementioned practices, Callers technically endorsed PBP by their dependency on Pre-Burnout cultures. She then proposed the idea of “scum” as a method of framing how “obviously Pre-Burnout” something was(Soul-Fisher’s clan was by a river, and surfacing-covering algal blooms were common in Verdance). If something was “well-scummed”, it appeared as novel and not superficially derived or “ripped-off” from the Pre Burnout. If something was “poorly-scummed” or “clear”, then it was obviously from the Pre-Burnout. Hypothetically, something could have a high degree of PBP, but if properly scummed, wouldn’t break Immersion. Soul-Fisher used the analogy of transplanting organs— the operation must be done with an incredible degree of consideration and delicacy so the recipient (survivors in desperate need of spiritual redemption) accepts the transplanted content as part of its native system. 

The notion of PBP in spirituality, and Soul-Fisher’s addendum of “scum” were quickly adopted into two new branches: technological and political. Early governance in the Burnout was typically either dictatorial or radically democratic. Leaders, often working closely with Callers, successfully incorporated practices from Pre-Burnout governments, legal-systems, and private enterprises to consolidate their power and ensure compliance from their citizens— all while maintaining Immersion. Near the end of the Hungry Years, many governments resembled medieval courts with elements from modern democracies. 

Negotiating PBP with regards to technological systems and innovation is its own animal. Most Post-Burnout factions operate at a technological level above the Industrial Revolution. This means that they require large amounts of engineers, scientists, doctors, and other logic-based professionals. It’s a virtual guarantee that an individual trained to understand the machinations of viruses, electrical machinery, chemical bonding, or any scientific concept would eventually question the crude mysticism of their culture. To address this inevitability, Callers have devised a plethora of strategies and workarounds for their patron factions to maintain their technological level without endangering their Immersion:

• Remove the offending individual. Used only for radical offenders or factions that have a low technological level. Execute, threaten, or expel the individual. 
• The “No Real Truth” Argument. A Caller breaks immersion and argues to an individual that almost everyone is living some form of a lie. All of the culture in America is fabricated, and it always has been. Even if they go to the most secular part of the Strets or become a chipped Formers, reality will always be distorted. There is greater comfort in staying within the lies that they were born to.
• The “Civil Duty” Argument. This argument can be made with Immersion. If an individual is so endowed that they can question a Caller’s Immersion (and don’t want to become a Caller themselves), then it is their responsibility to use those gifts for the benefit of their people. 
• The “Cult of the Engine” Strategy. Make the problematic trades cults or semi-religious organizations. Treat instruction as the attainment of “sacred knowledge” that cannot leave the organization in its raw form. Individuals are trained by Callers to not spread their advanced knowledge and to present as mystic practitioners in their own right. 
• The “They Were Wrong” Argument. Argue that the scientific pursuits and secularism of the Pre-Burnout led to society’s gradual collapse and that it is safer to remain in ignorance.
• The “Double-Think” Strategy. Simply train individuals to hold multiple perceptions of reality, the history of the world, and scientific principles at once. 
• The “Separation” Strategy. Have all skilled professionals and their workings as far-removed from the faction’s culture and day-to-day as possible to minimize their threats to Immersion. 

Ultimately, the Strets provide the most effective way to develop skilled individuals without threatening a group’s Immersion. The journey to the Strets is often framed as a “spiritual pilgrimage” that radically alters those who undertake it. This allows the Guild, Clans, and any other Immersed faction to balance a semi-modern technological level with Pre-Renaissance culture. They can have their cake and eat it too.