Real Dream Interpretation: What Does it Mean to Dream About an Alligator?

Alligator Dreams Symbolize an Enemy or Foe…

Below is a Dream Submitted for Analysis:

I recently had a dream that I was at someplace like an auditorium. I was with a group of people I’ve never seen but have dreamt of before. We used to play a game and I forgot how, but I needed to battle someone. I left my cards in the back of my moms car on the floor so I sat outside to look at the cards i would duel with instead. While out there my dog and a skinny stray greyhound appeared and my friend and her mom and little brother touched it. A book from a friend I actually know is suddenly next to me and he’s texting me a secret about it. “The first few verses of my bible…” were all I got to see because the bible refused to open for me as if someone were turning the pages back. An alligator with red eyes appears where the greyhound was and squeezes through the bars in an attempt to kill my dog and my friends brother. I make it inside but have to throw my dog to the alligator. I get my dog out the gators mouth and tell her to hold it so I can take her to the vet though she looks dead. I mount the gator forcing it flat on the floor and rip its head off while telling someone to look up animal exorcisms and demonic animals. The alligator reattaches it’s head and my dream ends. But I see a google page of animals doing magic.

Please help me understand what this means because my friend has never given me a book and the other people I’ve had dreams with before along with the game.

This dream definitely falls under the categories disturbing and creative! On the one hand, you can feel how troubling it must have been for the dreamer, but you also kind of have to appreciate the creativity of this dreamer’s subconscious mind. Many people who have such creative minds are some of the most talented artists, authors, and creators in the world.

Of course, when you’ve had a disturbing dream like this, all of that means very little. You just want answers. That’s what we’ll try to get at below as we look at the different dream symbols.

Alligator. (Also Crocodile) Alligators and crocodiles represent very imposing enemies – this could be another individual or even a situation or goal. Some people “animalize” situations in life, such as disappointments, broken promises, lost dreams, lost jobs, money problems, etc. An alligator or crocodile usually represent something pretty large that the dreamer feels has attacked him/her or could possibly attack.

These animals could also appear in the dreams of people who frequently watch shows such as Swamp People or other shows/movies/games involving these animals.

Dog or other pet – dreaming of a dog or pet is very common. We feel protective of our pets and often think of them as family. It’s perfectly natural for them to appear in dreams. When a pet appears along with something dangerous or threatening, it often indicates that the dreamer wants to protect someone from something. In their daily life, there may be an individual they care about that they’re concerned for and wish to protect from harm.

Game – dreaming of the game (and even the cards) implies something that the dreamer needs to do… but, more importantly, needs to do well. A game in our dream suggests that our brain believes we have “one shot” to get it right. That we will, in essence, either win or lose. The fact that “battle” and “duel” are also mentioned adds to the weight of this burden. This dreamer obviously had something pretty heavy on their mind – something that probably involved trying to protect someone from something devastating.

The presence of a Bible and “demonic” animals is the perfect (make that PERFECT) example of conflict. These are such powerful opposites that you can literally feel the conflict the dreamer is under. While it’s not 100 percent certain, this implies that the dreamer isn’t sure how to approach their real-life dilemna. There’s someone they want to protect, but this conflict implies that they aren’t sure which way to go. They know very well that one way would be the right way (the Bible) – where everything is good and perfect but the other way (the demonic animals) would be disaster – in fact, it would be “hell.”  The phrase “hell to pay” may even come into play.

Google is symbolic of searching – which goes along with this dream beautifully, as the dreamer is searching for answers. Animals doing magic somewhat suggests that the dreamer has even thought of their dilemma (wanting to protect someone) in terms of needing a “magic key” or a “miracle.”

Red. I’m also not the least bit surprised that red comes into play in this dream. As pointed out on our Dream Colors Page, red usually means something along the lines of “Alert!” or “Pay Attention!” in dreams. It is in keeping with the urgency the dreamer feels.

It’s also worth mentioning that people who are fans of “The Hunger Game” books or movies will often dream of large crowds, auditoriums, and “games.”  Dreams are, in many ways, movies our subconscious mind creates while we’re sleeping. Fans of a particular type of entertainment will often see a recurring theme in their dreams – it simply means that their subconscious mind prefers this setting to the rest.

The crowd of people are probably just part of the scene, however, if they “feel” important to you, they could indicate that you feel everyone is watching you or that “all eyes are on” you.

The fact that the alligator reattaches its head simply means that the dreamer feels what they are up against is uncommonly powerful and fears that even their best efforts may not be enough.

While troubling dreams like this can rock our emotional world, it helps to think of them as helpful messengers. This type of dream can be used to help you step up in life and do whatever needs to be done.  After all, whatever you fight today… at least it will NOT be a demonic alligator!

Thanks for sharing your dream and I hope your next dream is much more agreeable!

~ Joi

See our growing Dream Dictionary for more dream symbols, meanings, and interpretations.