3 Reasons You Are Dreaming About Alligators

Believe it or not, our subconscious minds are fascinating machines that try to convey certain ideas and concepts with the most effective images they can muster.

Combined with our life experiences, our dreams can be extremely useful in understanding ourselves better and figuring out what we want from life.

Many people often ask themselves why they keep dreaming about alligators.

They are not the scariest of creatures, nor are they known to be aggressive towards humans, so why would our brains conjure up images of these reptiles in our dreams?

Here are 3 reasons why you might be dreaming about alligators.

1) You feel threatened in real life

Alligators live in a natural habitat where they are the predators.

If one of them feels threatened by another animal, human or any other threat it will lash out aggressively to defend itself.

When you are dreaming about alligators it could suggest that you are feeling threatened in your waking life.

"Alligators typically represent challenges and obstacles," writes dream specialist Lauri Quinn Loewenberg on the Dream Moods website.

"As they are cold-blooded, like many reptiles, alligators symbolize things that are primitive or undeveloped in our lives," she explains. "Alligators also typically represent our defenses; the armor we put up to protect ourselves."

So if you keep dreaming about alligators it might be wise to evaluate the circumstances that you find yourself in and honestly answer if, and why, you feel threatened.

2) You are feeling aggressive

Alligators do not attack humans without a good reason. If you find yourself face to face with one in your dream, it could be because you are being overly aggressive towards others.

"If an alligator is your dream's central character, you may be feeling aggressive or territorial - this animal is fearless and powerful," explains Loewenberg.

If you feel like your dreams are trying to tell you that you need to stop being so aggressive and improve your people skills, it might be time to consider taking a step back and evaluating the way you interact with others.

3) You are feeling territorial

Alligators are known for being territorial animals, so if you dream about them it could suggest that you feel your space is being encroached upon by other people or events in your life. "If you dreamed of someone hurting or killing an alligator, the dream may be referring to a loss of power," suggests Loewenberg.

"Perhaps your family or social circle is feeling more challenging than usual, and it feels like you are losing control of the situation."

If you feel like alligators could be representing something in your waking life, take the time to consider how you could evaluate the scenario(s) without getting too aggressive.

"Stop, look around you, and ask yourself if there's another way to view the situation," advises Loewenberg. "If you can defuse the conflict by simply changing your approach, then do it!"

So if you keep dreaming about alligators, pay attention to what exactly is happening in your dreams - where are you? Who else is around? What are you feeling? - and try to figure out how the events relate to your waking life.

Why do we dream?

This question has always been a topic of debate, however, the first scientifically recorded evidence came from Sigmund Freud himself.

Freud believed that dreams are manifestations of our unconscious desires and wishes. According to him, these fears/desires are censored by the Super-Ego during our waking hours but are released in our dreams as they are no longer inhibited by the censor.

However, modern-day psychologists tend to favor a more modern approach.

According to them, dreams serve as a way for our brains to sort through and process all of the information we receive on a daily basis (similar to how computers use virus protectors).

For example, if we receive an email from an unknown person, our brain's first attempt is to determine how relevant and credible this information is. If we think it isn't credible and/or don't care much about the information (catch-22 right?), then it will be deleted. However, if we think that the information might be important or helpful then it will be saved into our long-term memory for later.

The same concept applies to dreams: if we dream about an event that doesn't hold much significance, then it will be forgotten upon waking up. However, if we dream about something important (or exciting!) then it is more likely to make its way into our long-term memory and remain intact for future reference (if needed).

However, what all this means is that we cannot always predict and understand the content and symbolism of our dreams (a snake might not always represent a reptile, but could also be because we had something to do with snakes in the past week, or we simply saw one on TV)

But if we take into consideration what happens during REM sleep, then it becomes easier to decipher the meaning behind our dreams. It is during REM (which stands for Rapid Eye Movement) sleep that we experience the most vivid, memorable, and intelligent dreams that are closest connected to our daily lives.

According to researchers at Loyola University: "Your muscles become paralyzed while you dream, preventing you from physically acting out your dreams. This is why you can't really run from danger in your dreams and also the reason for those strange, jerky movements that signal you're dreaming."

This means that we cannot always control both what happens in our dreams and the interpretation of our dreams (because we lack motor skills).

However, we can influence both by paying attention to the little details that happen during the day.

As Einstein said:

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."

So let your imagination run wild while thinking about what happens throughout the day, but always use logic when trying to understand and interpret the content of your dreams (and how it might apply to your waking life).

Reasons you are dreaming about alligators:

So why might the alligator be popping up in your dreams?

Here are two possible explanations:

1. You feel that someone is holding you back and/or trying to intimidate or scare you.

One of Freud's most popular theories is that alligators are a manifestation of our deepest fears.

And according to modern-day psychologists, alligators might be present in our dreams when we feel that someone is holding us back or trying to intimidate/scare us.

If this is happening in your waking life too, then you have two options: either confront the person who is making you feel this way or start working towards achieving your goal (in case it was you who was trying to hold yourself back).

2. You want to make some changes in your life, but can't muster up the courage/don't know where to start.

According to the dream dictionary at The Hippie Psychologist, alligators are " a sign that you are overwhelmed and need to start making some changes. These changes may seem daunting, but they represent opportunities for growth."

In this case, your subconscious might be trying to send you a message by symbolically re-enacting the struggle of getting out of the water or mud.

Conclusion :

The next time you are dreaming about alligators, remember that it might not necessarily be an ominous sign. It could very well mean that you're feeling overwhelmed by your current situation (or lack thereof) and need to make some changes (and soon).