The author says nitrous use doesn’t occupy any cultural space but for me I associate it with Aleister Crowley and the many “magick” things that he influenced- it was used before a lot of rituals they did. William James was a big early influence for him. But also he did a lot of other drugs too.

Looking the mechanism of action - that it replaces oxygen in the brain - it’s pretty obvious why long term use can be so damaging to your brain. It might also contribute to how crazy Crowley gets in his later years.