meditation chamber

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From the Movies

Meditation chambers are common for followers of the Force. These private inner sanctums are used by both Jedi and Sith to reflect upon the future, rejuvenate their inner strength, and improve their subtle mental powers. Perhaps the most well-known meditation chamber was built for Darth Vader aboard his Super Star Destroyer, Executor. As befitting the Dark Lord of the Sith, the chamber was an ominous, spherical construct that opened by splitting into two halves like some gaping maw. The pressurized enclosure also included a device that allowed Vader to quickly remove and replace his helmet and breath mask.

From the Expanded Universe

Meditation chambers are as unique as the individuals who make use of the devices. It appeared quite common among Sith ranks, perhaps because of the passion and aggression required by the Sith path necessitated greater facilities for finding the solitude and calm of meditation. Darth Vader built a specialized meditation chamber with a comfortable chair, a comlink and visual display, medical droids that monitored his health and a mechanical device for removing and replacing his helmet and breath mask. The sphere was completely pressurized and climate-controlled. He had a similar but larger hyperbaric chamber within Bast Castle on Vjun.

About 5,000 years earlier, the Sith Lord Naga Sadow made use of a huge meditation sphere during his war against the Old Republic. Sadow plotted his moves and controlled his forces from the floating orb, which also served as his personal starship. The sphere allowed him to control and focus his awesome powers throughout the chaotic battles that followed his invasion of the Old Republic. Ultimately, Sadow was defeated by the combined might of Empress Teta's army, the forces of the Old Republic, and a contingent of Jedi Knights.

Behind the Scenes

Vader's meditation chamber scenes for The Empire Strikes Back were filmed at Elstree Studios outside of London. An unused take from Empire was going to be used for a scene early on in Return of the Jedi, where Vader telepathically attempts to communicate with Luke Skywalker, though this sequence was cut from the film prior to release. It lasted long enough in the cut to be fully scored by John Williams.