WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE THE UNIVERSE EXISTED?

We know for certain, for instance, that for some reason, for some time in the beginning, there were hot lumps. Cold and lonely, they whirled noiselessly through the black holes of space. These insignificant lumps came together to form the first union--our Sun, the heating system. And about this glowing gasbag rotated the Earth, a cat's-eye among aggies, blinking in astonishment across the Face of Time.

Was it really noiseless? The music of the spheres maybe?

the original funk
over my face.
I can feel it happening.
Everything I thought I knew about emotions, about my emotions, has changed.
Everything.
Here it is.

I feel this ^

...but then if were as insignificant as we consider ants to be, then why do we have such strong emotions, or indeed, the capability of sentient thought at all?

there is also talk of reality being an illusion but this is generally without real concrete logic and just inspired by The Matrix or whatever. Reality is defined purely by itself, not its inhabitants. To exist is to exist and nothing else.

But not this ^

so here for the lumplore

the actual answer is usenet (ned raggett)

before this universe was one exaclt ylike it at its moment of death and everything repeats endlessly

we built the pyramids