Somewhere between unconscious life and total death, a distance not too far, the meat existed without knowing. If there was light anywhere, or if there had ever been light in the dark fluid around it, the meat had no awareness of it. If there had been odors, or tastes, or sounds, the meat was not responding. All motion was random and uncontrollable.
Time and gravity did not exist. The meat had no awareness of itself.
It did not even know that it was alive.