6 minutes ago, drpaladin said:

Waking up and awakening are totally different levels of consciousness for some.

Not so much so for some that I know or knew in the past.

Just the facts:

AWAKENING Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

AWAKENING Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

AWAKEN Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

AWAKEN Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

Awaken vs. Awoken vs. Awakened: Correct Usage | Merriam-Webster

The word awakening comes from the verb awaken combined with the suffix -ing, tracing back through Middle English to Old English roots meaning to arise, spring into being, or stop sleeping.  Originally meant "arising into life" or "emerging from physical sleep".  It expanded by around 1600 to figuratively mean rousing to activity, and later applied to religious revivals and sudden mental or spiritual realizations.  

The earliest known use of the noun "awakening" in English is from 1599, found in the writings of William Shakespeare.  Older Noun ("awaking"): Dates back much earlier to 1297 in Robert of Gloucester's Chronicle during the Middle English period.  Adjective ("awakening"): First recorded in the late 1600s (1694) in the writings of theologian John Kettlewell.  Verb ("awaken"): Goes back to the Old English period (before 1150).

An awakening in storytelling is the vital turning point where a character realizes a deep truth, driving internal transformation, providing thematic payoff, and creating emotional resonance.  

Driving Character Growth:  
Breaking illusions: The character drops a comforting lie or false belief they held.  
Shifting perspective: They see their flaws or their world clearly for the first time.  
Enabling action: This clarity gives them the strength to face the main conflict.  

Delivering Theme and Meaning:  
Core message: It shows the audience what the story is really trying to teach.  
Resolving questions: It answers the big moral or philosophical questions raised by the plot.  

Engaging the Audience:  
Deep connection: Viewers or readers feel the emotional breakthrough alongside the character.  
Lasting impact: It makes the lesson memorable rather than just a dry piece of advice.