Alligator or crocodile

Crocodile Dream Dictionary

Uncover Hidden Dream Meanings

Alligators and crocodiles seen in our dreams are a warning of how situations can strike at any time. Be wary about the unexpected, these reptiles are a highly regarded spiritual symbolism in dreams. The alligator and crocodile as a dream symbol communicate wisdom and self-understanding.

In our stages of spiritual life, we often face dilemmas that surround our values and dreams can often appear as metaphors. The alligator or crocodile attacking you can signal that you may feel you distrust your own judgment at times, it is as if your attitude is prompting you to progress spiritually. The dream is about spiritual abundance and what you need to do in order to progress your spiritual journey, the alligator or crocodile is about the courage to change but with that comes a sense of fear, wonder, enthusiasm, and delight. Crocodilians (the reptile group containing alligators and crocodiles) were part of the Mesozoic Era of ruling reptiles. Apparently, 100 million years ago there was a mystery around how the chain of events ended the dinosaurs. The crocodile and alligator are supposed to be the only living reptile of this period of time. Therefore, there is much spiritual and symbolic meaning that can be attached to your dream.

They are both reptiles which means they live as much time in the water as they do land. They are both connected to our emotions (water) and spiritual development (land). To see a wild alligator or a crocodile in your dream foretells a new beginning or changes in your waking life. This dream can also indicate danger in some way. The alligator or crocodile seen in your dream can highlight your intuition, your spiritual insights, and the spiritual steps you need to take in the forthcoming future.

Because of its association with religion, the alligator can mean that negative aspects signify a danger that will shortly come into your life. The crocodile implies deceit or someone who will cross you! Don’t trust anyone when this symbol appears in a dream. 

  • Being attacked by an alligator or crocodile is about being aware of deceit in waking life.
  • Seeing someone attacked indicates that a person in waking life is not what they seem
  • Killing a crocodile in a dream is great luck, it means your worries are over. Alligators and crocodiles are worrying symbols in dreams.
  • If you do not kill the alligator, then this dream may not be favorable, but it is rather a caution.
  • They look frightening, especially the terrifying, sharp jaws.
  • Alligators can be somewhat fearsome no matter how they appear in the dream. They are strong and graceful symbols appearing in a dream. I
  • f the crocodile or alligator chased you in a dream it can suggest your fears in life.
  • If the crocodile opened the jaw of his mouth in the dream it indicates something is jammed or stuck in waking life.  

The alligator stands for evil, danger, deception, and also don’t forget the saying “crocodile tears.” used to lure unsuspecting prey. Clearly, there are many images and folklore around alligators. There is a folklore reference that was used in Native American Indian culture that the alligator is a sign of fertility. We often see alligator skin made into suitcases, shoes, handbags, and wallets. This is symbolic in the dream meaning the alligator or crocodile could enable you to see what you can make out of life.

What is the general dream interpretation of a crocodile? 

This dream indicates that you need to improve or encourage financial security. No matter how well off you are, money just seems to be difficult to obtain. According to 1930s dream dictionaries, a dream of seeing an alligator or crocodile reflects how you feel inside about others. The alligator or crocodile is consistently related to the spiritual soul. Spiritually, the dream represents a coming together of power and intelligence. When we are affected by negative energies caused by difficult people, situations or even stalkers the dream normally arises. Dream interpretations (post-1920s) include: If in your dream you are trying to kill or harm the alligator then this dream is associated with your intelligence. To dream of shooting an alligator indicates the need to take intellectual tests - you may be surprised!

Dreaming of swimming with an alligator connects us with our necessity for basic emotional, physical and material needs. To be swimming with more than one alligator or crocodile signifies that one may be shafted by hope and faith. As with many other interpretations of reptiles, this dream represents the ultimate feminine wisdom, and indistinct feelings, as well as fertility. The alligator can be the symbol of the great mother.

To kill the alligator in your dream means that you hold angry feelings inside of you. If the alligator was deformed, this indicates your performance needs to develop some masculine traits. You need good judgment about how to move forward in a work situation. Thinking and planning is important in your life, and you may soon become obsessed with seeking answers to difficult questions, in order to understand a greater awareness and ease your life.

Dreams of seeing an alligator in a zoo or in captivity mean that you have access to the particular characteristics which make you unique. It is important to take any energy released over the next two months and use it to your advantage. There may be some conflict between the masculine attributes and the female ones, but it is important to maintain some kind of balance between the two. This dream is often connected to your feelings. As time passes, you recognize familiar aspects of what this dream means, and it is important to develop your personality coupled with a strong sense of family values.

Independence is important to you, and this dream shows it is time to claim it back. If you visit a jungle and see an alligator, this dream signifies there is a new beginning on the horizon. If you dream that the alligator was tamed, it means that you have acquired influence and lots of power. The bible says that an alligator is king over the children of pride. If you decide not to attack the animal, then seeing this creature is associated with the capability to survive in difficult situations. In a negative way, the crocodile demonstrates wasted potential. Think of it as a human associated with triggering control issues. The crocodile or alligator is true to its nature, and there is an element of trying to work towards goals. If the crocodile is on a lake, and the dream seems beautiful, it means that you will have love in your life. You may need to understand social instincts in order to secure your desires. The main negative potential is associated with any type of attack.

To be bitten by this animal denotes that you need to make sure you stop worrying, as things will sort themselves out. Someone that is in your circle of friends or family is not acting in a correct manner. You will recognize that the person is an enemy, and he or she seeks to trick you into thinking that you are a friend. Many of our dream visions are symbolical, which causes us to consider them as absurd and unintelligible. The universality of those symbols, however, makes them very transparent to the trained observer. It is important to also look up the other parts of your dream. What happened? Do not worry too much about the meaning of this dream; you just need to be aware of hidden dangers.

To be attacked by a crocodile or alligator is a signal of spiritual attack. 

Dream of a crocodile attacking someone can indicate that you are worried about being attacked by someone in waking life. There is nothing more shocking than witnessing someone being killed or attacked by this reptile. This dream is about negative energy, the darkness we sometimes feel in life. Most likely, the dream will be connected to a person you know in waking life.

First off, it is impossible to know what people really think about us. We all are triggered by elements in life and you might feel some people just come at you, or suddenly upset you. This can shatter relationships. The crocodile or alligator attacking someone (if you know them or not in the dream) can often represent a time where you are feeling that relationships are not going too well. The dream is a message that you need to understand the truth of what is real. Most of us sometimes live in denial about relationships and the dream message is to prepare yourself for an attack. It could indicate that your spiritual energy could be leaked. Depending on how spiritual you are, some of us are sensitive to negative energy. If someone is sending you negative energy (in waking life) then it is not uncommon to dream of an alligator attack. 

What is the meaning of a crocodile chasing you in a dream? 

The crocodile chasing you or hunting you in a dream illustrates that you are going to discover many attributes about yourself on a psychic level. The end result of the dream is equally important. If the crocodile kills or bites you after chasing you then this indicates that you’re going to try to move beyond your comfort zone, it can also signify somebody’s going to be rather deceitful.

What do dream psychologists say about a crocodile or alligator dream?

To have this dream also means the release of the power in us called Jungian, an archetype known as the 'Shadow.' This is a dark power associated with enemies and conspiracies. This shadow casts itself as the heroic victim (martyr) of dark and stupendous forces. The shadow inside us is dangerous. Have you been having bad thoughts? Are you struggling to come to terms with a situation? Finally, it is important to consider the work of Freud in regards to this dream interpretation, as this dream signifies a warning.

Freud wrote a book called "Truth is What Works", which looked at the views on the psychology of dreams. The facts are obvious to the world by his interpretation of dreams. First of all, Freud pointed out a constant connection between some part of every dream and some detail of the dreamer's life during the previous waking state. This positively establishes a relation between sleeping states and waking states and disposes of the widely prevalent view that dreams are purely nonsensical phenomena coming from nowhere and leading nowhere. In regards to this dream, it signifies that you have been having some worrying times recently.

What is the spiritual meaning of seeing a crocodile in the dream? 

The crocodile indicates the mysterious parts of life itself, in fact the symbol is rather esoteric in nature. The hidden features of seeing this in your dream is that you are looking to solve a problem in life, you yearn the freedom of expression, you have the strength to challenge anything and the power for success. It can also suggest that you have the ability to work towards something that will become a success - materially. Crocodiles are associated with a work situation, they are spiritually about gaining satisfaction in life. Compassion and talent are often important in daily life when a crocodile appears in one’s dream. You need to be somewhat passionate in life. The crocodile tends to be decisive in eating its prey and is connected to the way we gain promotion at work. Remember that you need to fight in order to win. If you hunted a crocodile this denotes spiritual acceptance.

What is the spiritual meaning of a crocodile eating someone in the dream? 

This dream can symbolise an untrustworthy person will create problems for you, it is not a great sign to see in a dream. It denotes possible worries and the failure of a project if you are eaten by a crocodile in the dream. A large (massive) crocodile appearing in a dream indicates that you cannot win no matter what happens - unless you kill it. 

In the dream state, we can be influenced by TV and film and if we look back at cave man times we are programmed to fear crocodiles though our DNA. For the crocodile to be swimming in a dream is connected to water indicates that you have the emotions and energy to succeed in life.  To see the crocodile’s teeth in a dream indicates somebody is going to be consulting in the future. Is also connected to our physical attributes of life. The crocodile influences us to think and challenge about how we grow in life. Try to connect with other people in order to think outside the box.

What does it mean to kill a crocodile in a dream? 

This is a positive dream. It indicates that you will encounter great luck - beyond your dreams.  Killing crocodile can also represent persistent actions in the future. It may be that you’re trying to work towards gaining wealth all you’re looking at clinging to projects that you know will be a success. Rallying for success is also associated with such a dream. If you kill the crocodile in the dream then this can indicate that you are going to be committed to the causes which you believe in life. To kill the crocodile by shooting the animal illustrates that you have the strength and the strong interest in uncovering successful business opportunities. 

What does a baby crocodile in a dream mean? 

To see baby crocodiles in the dream is associated with our strong interest in protecting our young. If you are a parent it is not uncommon to see baby crocodiles in your dream. It indicates that there is somewhat an immature person who surrounds you in daily life - It could be a child alternatively a partner or family member that needs support. You are very committed to your family you believe in giving and also receiving. Baby crocodiles can also crop up when you feel that you are not necessarily supported by immediate family.

What do prophetic dreams of a crocodile mean? 

Every dream can be connected to our own reality. In a dream where we find ourselves seeing a crocodile, there are many different lessons that we can learn. There are two key dream states that we can encounter, lucid dreaming and prophetic. If you had a dream of a crocodile and you feel that you’ve taken an active involvement in the dream, even influenced a dream in some way it indicates that you have the opportunity to manage a deceitful person in the waking life. The omen of the crocodile does suggest dishonesty and deceit, but as well as these meanings - the inner ability to overcome any obstacles. It is important to try to use your unconsciousness mind to understand the real problems in waking life.  

To see a crocodile in a dream and yourself as the third person, or to view the event as if it is on television indicates that you have the hidden intuition to look beyond people’s personality. The omen of the crocodile is associated with storing your own power and energy, in the case where you see a crocodile chasing you during a prophetic dream,  this denotes that your goals will be achieved, moreover this dream is more than just an illusion it is a specific call to action in waking life.  If you are successfully able to perform actions in the dream to change the event of the dream then seen a crocodile can be an emotionally powerful experience.

What does it mean to dream about a crocodile biting you in the dream? 

If you see the crocodile open its jaws in a dream need to hold yourself responsible. We generally have such a dream when we are reaching higher levels of consciousness, in some dreams the crocodile could bite you and you wake up startled or even in deep fear. The actual details of the dream are equally important. Where did the crocodile bite you? If the crocodile bit you on the leg then this indicates that you are going to find blockages in regards to moving forward in a business matter.

If the crocodile bit you on the hand then this is related to work and can indicate some delay or co-workers who are going to be dishonest in the future. The size of the crocodile biting you is also equally important. The bigger the crocodile the more important the dream is on a subconscious level. You may capture moments where the crocodile is opening its mouth and snapping at you during the dream. This can indicate snappy attitudes, being annoyed or possibly ostracisation.

What does it mean to run from a crocodile in the dream? 

For a crocodile to runaway from you during the dream state indicates you’re going to overcome any sudden change or phases in life. You will need to study but in the end you will succeed. If however, the crocodile itself is chasing you during the dream then you are trying to move away from somebody who is dishonest. Obviously, all the dream details are also equally important to interpret. In any case, to see a crocodile chasing you hunting you down illustrates an incredibly difficult task with somebody who is deceitful.

What does it mean if a crocodile is trying to bite you in the dream? 

If a crocodile is trying to bite you in the dream then this indicates that you have a desire to meet somebody that is going to treat you right. The crocodile biting you indicates that somebody is going to use you or alternatively give you displeasure. On the long road to happiness we often encounter displeasure. We are deceived by people who are close to us in life. This could indicate a disappointment or alternatively and an attraction towards somebody of the opposite sex.

What does a small crocodile in a dream mean? 

Perhaps you are feeling guilty about something in waking life, a small crocodile normally appears when you have not forgiven somebody. Forgiveness is always an option in life, if not there when going to be shadowed by bitterness doubt and distressed. A small crocodile indicates a minor problem in life which you can overcome. You can also symbolise betray, not only of ourselves but also the people that we care greatly. The key to success is to try and remove any doubts in life. 

What does it mean to see multiple crocodiles in a dream? 

To see a number of crocodiles in a dream illustrates that there are multiple threats in the future. You might be desperate in order to break free from job that does not give you satisfaction. If the crocodiles were circulating you in a dream, especially if you are in water in this indicates a feeling of congeniality. To be attacked by multiple crocodiles indicates that you should never give up.

Please note: please also read our meaning of crocodile dream by clicking here

In your dream you may have: 

Seen an alligator. Been attacked by an alligator. Seen an alligator in a zoo. Tamed an alligator. 

Positive changes are afoot if: 

The dream improved your perception about life. It was not scary. 

Feelings that you may have encountered during a dream of alligator or crocodile: 

Scared. Worried. Confused. Upset. Surprised. Tired. Weak. Terrified. Afraid. Concerned. Anxious.

By Flo Saul
Jan 25, 2013