Why do I freeze when presenting to experts?

Freezing in front of experts is one of the most common fears there is, and it hits capable people hardest, because you respect the room too much. Your mind treats those faces as judges waiting for you to slip. But they came to hear what you found, not to catch you out. Here is the thing you are forgetting under the fear: you know your own work better than anyone in that room. They may know the field more broadly, but on this, your piece, you are the expert. The freeze comes from imagining their judgment, not from any real gap in what you know. Bring your attention back to the material, which is solid, and off the imagined verdict. Next time, open with the one thing you are most sure of and say it slowly. Getting a single steady sentence out breaks the freeze, because your body learns it is still safe. From there you are just telling people what you did.