Discharge lamp lighting method and discharge lamp lighting apparatus

Disclosed are a discharge lamp lighting method and a discharge lamp lighting apparatus which are capable of performing an effective short-time lighting control according to the state of a discharge lamp. The discharge lamp lighting apparatus performs a short-time lighting operation for lighting the discharge lamp for a short time a multiple number of times when the discharge lamp is not steadily lighted. At this point, the discharge lamp lighting apparatus determines the state of the discharge lamp at a time immediately before the start of the short-time lighting operation, and changes parameters (at least one of electric energy intensity, electric energy supplying time, and electric energy supplying period) pertaining to electric energy supplied to the discharge lamp through the short-time lighting operation according to the determined discharge lamp state.