Keep Dreaming About Alligators? Here's What It Could Mean & How To Work Through It

Animal symbolism can show up in our everyday lives, as well as in our dreams. And if you've been dreaming about alligators a lot lately, you might be wondering what these dreams could be trying to tell you. Here's what to know, according to experts.

But of course, context always matters, and she adds that if you have personal associations with alligators, or even places where alligators are from (i.e. Florida or Louisiana), alligators can show up as a reminder of those personal associations.

"The first thing you want to ask yourself is whether you've been attacked verbally lately, plus the way you handled it," she says, whether you recoiled in fear or fought back. "Plus," she adds, "how that connects to how you reacted when you were attacked verbally in real life."

If you witness an alligator eating something in the dream (even eating you, perhaps), Loewenberg notes something in real life might be "consuming" you and your thoughts. She advises getting clear on what's consuming you or "eating away" at you, especially if something in your life has taken more of a priority over other things lately. "Something is becoming more important than something else, or you're feeding off of something," she adds.

If you attack the alligator in your dream, according to Loewenberg, that's a sign you're fighting back in real life when you're being confronted or criticized. "Most of the time," she explains, "alligators are about verbal assault—communication, arguments, criticism—so if you're fighting back in the dream, you may be standing up against a bully or fighting back against something that had previously made you feel victimized in some way."

"A baby alligator could also represent something new that's beginning to grow and develop in your life—and most often that would be your ability to have a thick skin, or your ability to fight back when you're under attack," she adds.

In some dreams, you may be in alligator-infested waters without any of them actually attacking you. In this case, according to Loewenberg, this dream deals with the fear of criticism more so than criticism itself. "You're aware that alligators live in here, but they're not actively coming after you, so it's your fear or concerns about criticism and what others think of you, and your fear of being attacked for something that may not even take place," she notes.

According to Loewenberg, dreaming of an alligator beneath the surface is a particularly common dream for people who are in situations where they feel like the black sheep, or anyone who's experiencing fear and anxiety on a subconscious level. "You may see it dwelling there just below the surface, which represents some fear you have that's beginning to surface, and would serve as a warning from your subconscious," she explains.

If the alligator in your dream was dead (either on the side of the road or washed up on the shore), Loewenberg tells mindbodygreen that it could be dealing with something in your life that's come to an end. "An alligator in particular would likely represent an issue that is now over, that had involved an argument or biting remarks between you and someone else," she says.

If you dreamt of an alligator fighting another animal, whether it was a snake, a deer, another alligator, etc., Loewenberg says this instance points to a conflict in your life. In this case, you could be the alligator, or you could be the victim of the attack, and you have to distinguish which creature represents you in the dream. "Which one of these creatures do you identify with the most? The alligator with the thick skin, or the deer that's always victimized?" she explains.

Last but not least, sometimes our dreams can lean on figures of speech in their symbolism and imagery. Ever heard, "See ya later, alligator?" According to Loewenberg, if you escape an alligator attack in your dream, it can represent you getting out of a toxic relationship in your life. "Who do you need to say 'See ya later' to? That's the message this dream is giving you," she adds.

If you aren't already in the practice of dream journaling, getting in the habit of writing down your dreams as soon as you wake up is great way to start remembering your dreams in better detail so you can work through them.

Dreams are mysterious and nuanced, and only you can unpack their deepest meanings. But when it comes to common dream symbols, alligators are one of them, and understanding these associations can help us pin down what our dreams could be trying to communicate.