A method of charging or discharging a member including the steps of, opposing to a member to be acted, a discharging member having a dielectric member, an inducing electrode and a discharging electrode sandwiching the dielectric member so that the discharging electrode faces the member to be acted, applying an alternative voltage between the inducing electrode and the discharging electrode to produce a surface discharge on a surface of the dielectric member at the discharging electrode side, moving the member to be acted relative to the discharging electrode to charge or discharge the member to be acted by the thus formed surface discharge, ceasing the production of the surface discharge by attenuating both of positive and negative, at the discharging electrode relative to the inducing electrode, components of the alternating voltage at least down to a discharge stopping voltage and then rendering the voltage zero.