This paper reports a phenomenon of waking life related to the dream screen described by Lewin. A male patient, whose basic problem was a fear of not being fed (loved) by his mother if he expressed any of his independent and aggressive impulses, suddenly began to cook his own meals, in contrast to his previous habit of eating in restaurants. This development was associated with increasing aggressiveness in everyday life. A fortnight later he reported that he had the feeling that formerly there had been a screen between himself and the world. When asked to associate to this idea, he said immediately: 'My mother's hand before my face. My mother's breast'. Kepecs interprets the screen as an ever-present phantom of the satisfying breast which was maintained as a defence against aggressive wishes. It also served to conceal the female genitals by regression to the oral level. Some theoretical implications of the waking screen and its relation to the dream screen are discussed.