Mind prison A technological device of the Infinite Empire , the mind prison was created by the Force - sensitive Rakata species as a means of incarcerating criminals and other beings they considered unsavory . However , these prisons were unusual in that an individual ' s physical body was not caged , but rather the mind . In part due to losing their connection to the Force , the Infinite Empire collapsed in 25 , 200 BBY and the remaining Rakata fled their homeworld of Lehon , where they splintered into the various tribes of the Rakatan Archipelago . A number of tribes took with themselves the technology of their ancestors , including mind prisons , while other devices became forgotten in the galaxy . The reality of mind traps were lost in the obscurity of history until 3956 BBY when the Jedi Revan was commissioned to transport a mind trap — known to him as a mysterious box — from Korriban to Tatooine . In the process , he learned of the existence of mind traps and a small part of their history . At a later date , Elder Ruthic , a descendant of the ancient Rakata , was able to gain the leadership position in the Tulpaa tribe , located in the Rakatan Archipelago , by the use of mind prisons . Being unique due to her growing connection to the Force , Ruthic was able to activate the ancient mind prisons of her people and banish both the tribe ' s former leaders and her enemies . Function . Mind prisons were devices invented by Rakata n individuals of the Infinite Empire , sometime before 25 , 200 BBY , as a means of incarcerating criminals of their own species , and other beings they considered unacceptable , such as Sharu malefactors and Kwa super - soldiers . However , the Rakata did not cage their enemies ' physical bodies , but rather their minds . The length of detention varied ; individuals considered to have committed terrible crimes expected to be confined for eternity with no means of escape . After the fall of the Infinite Empire , mind prisons became scattered around the galaxy , most notably to the planets of the Rakatan Archipelago , Makatak and Tulpaa . However , their function essentially remained the same : to constrain undesirable persons or as a storage area for living beings . Properties . The outward appearance of a mind prison resembled an ordinary cargo crate , although there was at least one example that was vaguely pyramidal in shape and had small engravings of humanoid visages running along its vertical faces . The interior of the prison was a " room " composed of an infinite expanse of white nothingness . However , the aforementioned pyramidal prison was known to have contained a series of rune covered pillars and a bed . The prison box itself was not considered hazardous , unless improperly opened . In that instance , the individual would find their mind under the control of the prison trap and drawn inside . Often , the victim would be confronted by a long - dead Rakata whose only chance for escape was to take over the victim ' s body . The Imprisoned One asked the newcomer a series of riddles and if they were answered incorrectly , the Rakata would inhabit the body and attempt an escape . The fall of the Infinite Empire caused many Rakatan tribes to scatter to various worlds , bringing their ancient technology with them . Two tribes of the Rakatan Archipelago , the Makatak and Tulpaa tribe s , possessed dozens of mind prisons that could only be opened by use of the Force . Other prisons , such as the one owned by Motta the Hutt , were believed to have lost their protections , thereby affording the prisoners a means of exiting . History . Before the decline of the Infinite Empire in 25 , 200 BBY , the Force - sensitive Rakata tribes invented many Force - based technological devices . The mind prison was developed as a form of imprisonment that was considered to be both superior and secure . The fall of the Empire led to the destabilization of all planets under Rakatan control with much of their technology being destroyed or scattered . Furthermore , the few remaining tribes on the Rakatan homeworld , Lehon , fled the planet to settle on other worlds — forming the Rakatan Archipelago — taking their technology , including mind prisons , with them . In 3956 BBY , the Jedi Revan visited Dreshdae on Korriban where he was approached by Rodian Lurze Kesh , a procurer of unusual goods . Kesh had recognized Revan ' s ship , the " Ebon Hawk " , as a former smuggling vessel , and assuming that Revan was a smuggler , Kesh offered Revan a job : delivering a mysterious box to Motta the Hutt in Anchorhead on Tatooine . Revan accepted the commission , with Kesh warning the Jedi to not open the box . Nonetheless , Revan disregarded the Rodian ' s advice , and became trapped inside the coffer . Upon entering , Revan was greeted by an ancient Rakatan being who informed him that his mind was now trapped inside a mind prison . However , the antediluvian had discovered a means of escape — theorizing that this was only possible due to the prison having lost its protections — and he offered to show Revan the exit if the Jedi was the victor in a contest of riddles . Revan was able to best the Rakata and went on to deliver the mind prison to Motta . Some time later , Elder Ruthic , a female Rakata priest , rose to the leadership position of the Tulpaa tribe by banishing the tribe ' s former leaders , and other enemies , into a mind trap . Shortly before the collapse of the Infinite Empire , the Rakata had lost their connection to the Force . However , unlike the preceding generations , Ruthic was unique in that she had an emerging bond with the Force , giving her the ability to make use of the technology of her ancestors . Furthermore , Ruthic gained a wise counselor from her use of mind prisons . Upon banishing opponents to a mind prison , a pure - blooded Sith named Raspir was released . Having once served Sith King Adas as a court magician , Raspir ' s proficiency with dark side magic proved beneficial to the tribe leader . Behind the scenes . The mind prison first appeared in BioWare ' s " " video game , released in 2003 , as a " mysterious box . " The object is part of an optional courier mission given by Lurze Kesh ; however , in order to unlock the courier mission , the player must gain access to the secret compartment within the Ebon Hawk . Furthermore , the choice to open the mysterious box is optional as well . Completion of either of the aforementioned missions does not affect the player ' s light side or dark side alignment . With the publication of " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " in 2008 , the mind prison received its own entry that further described the object ' s properties . Moreover , the entry for Motta the Hutt seemed to indicate that the mysterious box seen in " Knights of the Old Republic " was only one example of a mind prison . The release of " The Unknown Regions " , a Wizards of the Coast supplement to the " Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition Core Rulebook " , in 2010 established the existence of many examples of mind prisons , in addition to confirming that the mind prisons had been created by the ancient Rakata before their Infinite Empire collapsed . In his endnotes for " The Unknown Regions " , co - author Daniel Wallace stated that Raspir , King Adas ' s former court magician , was approximately 28 , 000 years old , which suggested that mind prisons were , at the very least , of that age . It also suggested that mind prisons were used by King Adas and his Sith Empire . However , as these two points had not been explicitly confirmed , they were not included in the canon history of mind prisons .