rapture of the deep

Main Entry: nitrogen narcosis
Function: noun
: a state of euphoria and exhilaration that occurs when nitrogen in normal air enters the bloodstream at approximately seventimes atmospheric pressure (as in deepwater diving) called also rapture of the deep

nitrogen narcosis n.

1. Narcosis produced by nitrogenous materials such as those occurring in certain forms of uremia and hepatic coma.

2. A stuporous condition variously characterized by disorientation, euphoria, and loss of judgment and skill, attributed to nitrogen entering the blood during breathing of normal air at increased pressure, as occurs with deep-sea divers. Also called rapture of the deep.