Nitrogen narcosis refers to a condition similar to intoxication with alcohol that occurs in divers below 100 feet (30 meters) who breath compressed air because of the high nitrogen content of air. Sympotoms inlcude: euphoria, loss of balance and manual dexterity, disorientation and impaired reasoning Nitrogen narcosis is sometimes called the Rapture of the Deep, a term derived from the book "The Silent World" written in 1953 by Jacques Cousteau