I’m a mere midwesterner, and I have a lot to learn about peppers. However, I have learned a fair amount about pain and coping with it. The fear of pain and the panic when it starts can be more distressing than the pain itself. If you have to deal with pain routinely, you must adjust your attitude toward it. You have to learn to roll with it and learn to make it a smaller part of your overall thoughts.
Getting back to spicy foods, this means your meditation can start with the burning mouthfeel. The calm takes over from the fear, and hot peppers can bring enlightenment. 