The Force-attuned Rakata species of the Infinite Empire conceived technological marvels known as mind prisons, which functioned as incarceration devices for criminals and those deemed undesirable. These prisons uniquely targeted the mind rather than the physical body. The Infinite Empire met its demise around 25,200 BBY, partly due to a disconnection from the Force. The surviving Rakata abandoned their homeworld of Lehon and dispersed into various tribes throughout the Rakatan Archipelago. Some tribes carried on the legacy of their ancestors, retaining mind prison technology, while other devices faded into obscurity across the galaxy.
The reality of mind traps was obscured until 3956 BBY, when the Jedi Revan found himself tasked with transporting a mind trap—disguised as a mysterious box—from Korriban to Tatooine. This encounter unveiled the existence of mind traps and a glimpse into their history. Later, Elder Ruthic, a descendant of the ancient Rakata, seized control of the Tulpaa tribe within the Rakatan Archipelago by employing mind prisons. Ruthic's growing connection to the Force allowed her to activate these ancient devices, exiling both the tribe's previous leaders and her adversaries.
Before 25,200 BBY, Rakatan individuals within the Infinite Empire developed mind prisons as a way to incarcerate criminals from their own species and other beings deemed unacceptable, like Sharu wrongdoers and Kwa super-soldiers. Instead of confining their enemies physically, the Rakata imprisoned their minds. The length of imprisonment varied, with those who committed serious crimes facing indefinite confinement without hope of escape.
Following the Infinite Empire's downfall, mind prisons spread across the galaxy, particularly to the planets of the Rakatan Archipelago, Makatak and Tulpaa. Their purpose, however, remained consistent: to restrain unwanted individuals or serve as storage for living beings.
A mind prison often resembled a standard cargo container, although at least one example had a vaguely pyramidal shape adorned with small engravings of humanoid faces along its vertical edges. The prison's interior consisted of an endless expanse of white nothingness. However, the pyramidal prison mentioned earlier contained a series of rune-covered pillars and a bed.
The prison box itself was not inherently dangerous, unless opened incorrectly. If improperly opened, the individual's mind would fall under the prison's control and be drawn inside. The victim would often encounter a long-dead Rakata whose only hope of escape lay in seizing the victim's body. The Imprisoned One would pose a series of riddles, and incorrect answers would allow the Rakata to inhabit the body and attempt to escape.
The collapse of the Infinite Empire resulted in the dispersal of Rakatan tribes to various worlds, carrying their ancient technology with them. The Makatak and Tulpaa tribes of the Rakatan Archipelago possessed numerous mind prisons that could only be opened through the Force. Other prisons, such as the one possessed by Motta the Hutt, were thought to have lost their protections, providing prisoners with a means of escape.
Prior to the decline of the Infinite Empire in 25,200 BBY, the Force-sensitive Rakata tribes engineered a variety of Force-based technological devices. The mind prison emerged as a superior and secure form of imprisonment. The Empire's fall led to instability across all planets under Rakatan control, resulting in the destruction or scattering of much of their technology. Furthermore, the remaining tribes on the Rakatan homeworld, Lehon, abandoned the planet to establish settlements on other worlds—forming the Rakatan Archipelago—bringing their technology, including mind prisons, with them.
In 3956 BBY, the Jedi Revan journeyed to Dreshdae on Korriban, where he encountered Rodian Lurze Kesh, a dealer in unusual goods. Kesh recognized Revan's ship, the Ebon Hawk, as a former smuggling vessel. Assuming Revan was a smuggler, Kesh offered him a job: transporting a mysterious box to Motta the Hutt in Anchorhead on Tatooine. Revan accepted the offer, with Kesh warning him not to open the box. Revan ignored the Rodian's advice and became trapped inside the coffer. Upon entering, Revan was greeted by an ancient Rakatan being who revealed that Revan's mind was now imprisoned. However, the ancient being had discovered a means of escape—believing it was only possible due to the prison's weakened protections—and offered to show Revan the exit if the Jedi could win a contest of riddles. Revan defeated the Rakata and proceeded to deliver the mind prison to Motta.
Later, Elder Ruthic, a female Rakata priest, ascended to leadership of the Tulpaa tribe by exiling the tribe's former leaders and other enemies into a mind trap. Before the Infinite Empire's collapse, the Rakata had lost their connection to the Force. However, unlike her predecessors, Ruthic possessed a growing connection to the Force, enabling her to utilize her ancestors' technology. Furthermore, Ruthic gained a wise counselor through her use of mind prisons. Upon banishing opponents to a mind prison, a pure-blooded Sith named Raspir was released. Having previously served Sith King Adas as a court magician, Raspir's mastery of dark-side magic proved valuable to the tribe leader.
The mind prison debuted as a "mysterious box" in BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game, released in 2003. The object is part of an optional courier mission given by Lurze Kesh; however, to unlock the courier mission, the player must access the secret compartment within the Ebon Hawk. Furthermore, opening the mysterious box is also optional. Completing either of these missions does not impact 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, further detailing its properties. Moreover, the entry for Motta the Hutt suggested that the mysterious box in Knights of the Old Republic was just 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 confirmed the existence of numerous mind prisons and verified that the ancient Rakata created them before the Infinite Empire's collapse.
Daniel Wallace, co-author of The Unknown Regions, stated in his endnotes that Raspir, King Adas's former court magician, was approximately 28,000 years old. This implied that mind prisons were at least that old and that King Adas and his Sith Empire used them. However, because these points were not explicitly confirmed, they were not included in the official history of mind prisons.