Bit of a late response I know. But I would argue critical theory school in academia regularly applies this kind of analysis to real life. The constructs of the rhetoric regularly have no proof. Mearly an assertion based on internal bias.

One of the most obvious being like claiming Rockets and guns are purposefully phallic, (when of course it is a simple result of mechanics). You can obviously dismiss a lot of the extreme examples as utterly ridiculous declarations by the ill informed. But the fact that people are making those ill informed declarations in academia is the proof that people apply this level of magical thinking that is acceptable in literature analysis to the real world.

If you are familiar with the 'Sokal Affair' I submit it as my example of this kind of projection, and over analysis.