A high pressure discharge lamp in which the cathode has a cylindrical body part and a conical part which is doped with thorium dioxide (ThO.sub.2), and with a diameter which decreases in a direction from the body part toward the tip area of the conical part by at least one light receiving surface area being formed between the body part and the tip area of the cone in a base part of the conical part. The light receiving area lies at an angle with respect to the center axis of the conical part and the body part, said angle which is measured from the side of the body part being greater than the angle of inclination which is formed between the outer periphery of the conical part in the tip area of the cone and the center axis.