A spectroscopic study of population processes was carried out for states of the neon atom of the 2p⁵3d configuration in the discharge afterglow in helium with a small admixture of neon ([Ne]/[He] ≈ 10^–5) at a pressure of 38 Torr. Based on the comparative analysis of time dependences of the spectral line intensities of the Ne I 2p⁵3d → 2p⁵3d and 2p⁵4d → 2p⁵3d transitions and ratio of ion densities [Ne₂ ⁺ ]/[HeNe⁺], it has been found that the formation of excited Ne(2p⁵3d) atoms in the afterglow caused by two dissociative recombination processes: HeNe⁺ + e → Ne(2p⁵3d) + Ne and Ne₂ ⁺ + e → Ne(2p⁵3d) + Ne. Distributions of population fluxes of the 2p⁵3d levels (Formula presented.) and (Formula presented.) —were obtained for each of these processes.