De acordo com o Visual Dictionary :
O Visual Dictionary diz o seguinte:
Since the disappearance of Luke Skywalker and the shattering of his fledgling Jedi following, the cosmic Force has lain dormant, seemingly quieted to those able to sense its presence.
The adventures of Rey and Finn on Jakku coincide with a turbulence in the cosmic Force, a sudden ripple indicating the awakening of newfound ability. With the Jedi and their records vanished, few—other than Kylo Ren and his mysterious master—are able to appreciate this occurrence.
UPDATE 2017/11
De acordo com Adam Driver interview com o Império , esse "despertar" se aplica igualmente ao lado da luz (Rey) e ao lado do Darks também :
We find Darth Vader already completely committed; I was curious about starting with someone who was less together, who was starting in a place of self-doubt. The title of The Force Awakens wasn't just referring to the light side, it was the dark side as well.
Não tenho certeza da canonicidade disso (como em, isto é, adbibbing pessoal ou canon do Driver?), mas vale menioning.