Abstract: In a method for operating high-pressure discharge lamps in a pulsed mode to improve the light properties thereof, gating pulses for the high-pressure discharge lamp are in the form of pulse groups of bipolar individual pulses with a pulse width of less than 100 .mu.s. The repetition frequency of the pulse groups is higher than 100 Hz at a duty cycle of less than 0.8 and the individual pulses have a frequency of more than 400 Hz at an arbitrary duty cycle. A sinusoidal keep alive current or direct current is applied to the lamp between the pulse groups. The individual pulses can be spike pulses.