Katanyxis

Katanyxis literally means "piercing" — the sharp sting that the heart feels when it is suddenly opened to the truth about itself. It is closely related to penthos — godly sorrow — but carries a more specific connotation: the moment of breakthrough, the instant when the heart's defenses are pierced and genuine feeling floods in.

The tradition values katanyxis as a sign that the heart is softening — that the layers of habitual numbness, distraction, and self-protection are being penetrated by truth. It is always understood as gift, not achievement. You cannot manufacture it. You can only create the conditions that allow it to arrive.