Updates:

1) Any light source (stronger than ambient light), laser or even
incandescent lamp from a flash-light improves the ionization, thus the
neon light gets stable (not flickering).

2) I used a really very strong (rare earths) magnet close to the lamp,
almost touching it, no changes at all to the flickering.

3) Little experiences with a power supply from 60Vdc to 75Vdc and a 20
kOhms resistor in series with a flicker lamp... reduced voltage until
the lamp turned off, in a critical limiar Voltage, the laser ignited the
lamp and it stayed on...

Got curious if a strong 100W-1kW CO2 laser could change ionization in
Ozone gas, thus electric discharge path could be changed.  Unfortunately
I don't have such little monster energy eater, would love to, but...
Here in Florida, the state also known as "a natural lightning
generator", could be a nice place to study this effect to deviate killer
lightning, or to attract them to specific points without using 1000 ft
high grounded poles... :)

AFIK, before a lightning, the high potential between charged clouds and
ground creates a ionized pre-path, so the lightning just follows the
easy ionized path, until it saturates with the massive electrons
discharge and looks for a secondary and so on, until we see it burning
TV's, Stereos, Phones, Computers and so on all around. Surge protectors?
ahaaaa! I have two in series everywhere and still not believing in them,
ok, 600V @ 1ms surge?, but what about 500kV @ 3,000 Amps @ 1 whole
second surge?  If one could generate some continuous artificially
ionized easy paths at safe places... it could avoid several problems we
have here... by the way, last month by the first time I saw a nice rain
with no lightning at all. THOR (Gods of Thunder) and his hammer (he
lives in Orlando <g>) should be sleeping, or busy... (recharging?)

Wagner