In four experiments with a total of 22 healthy normalsubjects, capsicum spices were tested as to their psychostimulant effects. Two mental-stress experiments involving mental and psychomotor tests, mood ratings and self-report techniques and two monotony experiments involving an acoustical vigilance task were performed. Self-reports showed positive effects, when pooled over all four experiments, but no effects in performance variables could be demonstrated. Thus, it appears that capsicum spices in a relatively high dose may have psychotropic stimulant effects in healthy subjects. However, the effects seem to be weak.