From clinical observations and from discussion of some of the literature I have suggested that blocking in the schizophrenic patient represents a narcissistic withdrawal, a regression to a state in which the preverbal nonvisual memory traces of the nursing experience are cathected. That is, schizophrenic blocking may be a manifestation of rapid regression to a blank dream state. This narcissistic withdrawal is fostered by a mother who has related to her child as if he were an inanimate transitional object.