Yeah... I definitely did not include enough guidance. Basically, you adjust the emotion configurations, and certain pairs make interactions appear out in the world. You should see [EMOTION EXTERNALIZED] when that happens. You can see them in the distance with the overlay enabled. When you interact with those, it will bump up the CSRI.
The emotion matrix just helps keep track of emotion pairs where you have completed the interaction.
The pillar section should have been hidden until 60% CSRI... it is unsolvable up to that point. The empty picture is a bug I have not encountered, unsure what that is about. But that is a core part of the pillar puzzle.
Sorry for the confusion, I need to fix quite a few things. Appreciate your feedback.