an epiphany is the sudden awareness to the reality of something.
(1)
: a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something
(2)
: an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking
(3)
: an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
b
: a revealing scene or moment
At first I wasn't sure why you defined "epiphany" here, but then it made sense. You interpreted the question as "What is the word for this?" instead of as a discussion opener designed to elicit interesting examples.