I was being chased in circles around my childhood home by an alligator. I kept trying to reach the stairs to get up to safety, but every time I circled around I just couldn't get there
Dreams about being chased often symbolize feelings of anxiety, fear, or avoidance in waking life. The alligator can represent a threat or a powerful emotion that you are trying to escape from. Given that the setting is your childhood home, this could indicate that the fear or anxiety is related to unresolved issues from your past, possibly tied to family dynamics or childhood experiences.
The repetition of running in circles suggests that you may feel stuck in a situation or emotion, unable to find a way out or reach safety. The stairs symbolize a way to elevate yourself above the problem, but the fact that you can’t seem to reach them might indicate feelings of helplessness or inadequacy in addressing whatever is troubling you.
Overall, this dream could reflect a desire to confront and overcome fears or unresolved issues from your childhood but feeling trapped or overwhelmed in the process. It may serve as a prompt to explore those feelings more consciously and find ways to address them in your waking life.