The high repulsive states of HgAr and HgNe van der Waals complexes, correlating with Hg 6s6d atomic states have been investigated by double resonance spectroscopy, through the first excited state A (3)0(+) and B (3)1 of the complexes. The repulsive potentials have been fitted through numerical Franck-Condon simulations. They have been characterized by perturbative calculation as quasi-pure 6d Sigma potentials in Hund’s case a. The strong Hg-rare gas electrostatic interaction potential overruns the spin-orbit interaction at distances shorter than 7 Angstrom. These observed repulsive states are mostly of Omega=1 character correlating with D-3(3) at infinite distances. The contribution from the potential of Omega=0(-) symmetry correlating with D-1(2) is of minor importance. Therefore, the absorption in the repulsive states of the complex arises mostly from proximity induced absorption in an optically forbidden transition P-3(1)-->D-3(3). A perturbative model accounts well for the bound free absorption intensities experimentally observed.