road to Damascus experience
n.— «There are those who regard coming out as a “road to Damascus” experience, a single moment of recognition of one’s “true” self, a gestalt shift in which the label of the derided other is applied to one’s self.» —“The Role of Disclosure in Coming Out Among Gay Men” by Peter Davies Modern Homosexualities Nov. 1, 1993. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...
While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...